Color characteristics of irradiated aerobically packaged pork, beef, and turkey

Color changes in irradiated meat were species-dependent. Irradiated pork and beef became less red as a result of irradiation and display time. The redness values of turkey increased after irradiation but decreased during display time. The yellowness of the irradiated samples, for all species, increased as a result of irradiation and display. Visual evaluation of irradiated pork and beef indicated an increase in brownness, whereas turkey increased in redness as dose increased. The surface color of irradiated pork became less uniform than unirradiated pork. Reflectance spectra indicated that irradiation induced a metmyoglobin-like pigment in pork and beef, whereas the pigment in turkey was unchanged.