Influence of Age on Color Values and Total Pigment Contents of Eleven Major Muscles in Japanese Black Steers

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the differences in colors and the total pigment contents of eleven major beef muscles and to ascertain their relations to age. The following eleven muscles were dissected from carcasses of twenty-eight Japanese Black steers: M. biceps femoris, M. gluteus medius (GM), M. vastus latelalis (VL), M. semitendinosus, M. semimembranosus, M. psoas major (PM), M. latissimus dorsi (LA), M. longissimus thoracis (LT), M. longissimus lumborum (LL), M. triceps brachii (caput longum) and M. supraspinatus (SS). The samples were analyzed for color values, in terms of lightness (L), redness (a), yellowness (b), hue angle (Θ), saturation of chromaticity (√a2+b2) and the total pigment contents. Results indicated that color values and the total pigment contents differed among eleven major beef muscles. L values of VL, LA and SS decreased with increasing age, though their a, b and √a2+b2 values did not change. On the other hand, L values of GM, PM, LT and LL did not change with increasing age, though their a, b and √a2+b2 values increased. In overall muscles, the coefficient of variations of b value was the largest among color values and the total pigment contents negatively correlated to L values. In each muscle, the total pigment contents increased with age, although L value of LT did not change with age. This result suggests that the influence of marbling on L value and that of pigment contents on it might be counterbalanced with each other in LT. It is assumed that the meat color of LT would reach the range of desirable beef color after 22 months of age.