Myoglobin oxidative state affects internal cooked color development in ground beef patties

Ground beef patties known to develop a normal (NRM) or premature brown (PMB) color when cooked to 55 degrees C received no treatment or were reduced or oxidized before cooking. Internal raw appearances were red/purplish-red for NRM, purplish-red/red for reduced, and brown for PMB and oxidized groups. Cooked colors of NRM-no treatment and reduced, and PMB-reduced were more red (P<0.05) than those of NRM-oxidized and PMB-no treatment and oxidized. Cooked colors of PMB-reduced and NRM-no treatment were similar (P>0.05), and those of NRM-oxidized and PMB-no treatment were similar (P>0.05). Oxidized pigment produced a PMB color, whereas reducing conditions produced NRM cooked color.