Properties of Myoglobin Involved in Color Development of Cured Emu and Ezo Deer Meat

Abstract

　We examined the properties of cured meat from both emu and Ezo deer. Although emu meat is slightly inferior to beef in its ability to reduce metmyoglobin, it was revealed to have higher myoglobin content, to nitrosate the myoglobin efficiently, and to produce more denatured globin nitrosyl hemochrome upon heating. Ezo deer meat was revealed to have higher iron and myoglobin contents than other common meats and excellent metmyoglobin reducing ability, so it is possible to efficiently nitrosate myoglobin and produce more denatured globin nitrosyl hemochrome by heating.