ANALYSIS OF MEAT PIGMENTS WITH TISSUE SPECTROPHOTOMETER TS-200

The colour of meat and rice flour pastes containing known amounts of m yoglobin and the colour of intact beef and pork samples were analyzed with tissue spectrophotometer TS-200. The differences in the spectra o f myoglobin among three types of derivatives were successfully disting uished with this instrument. In addition, there is a close relationshi p between I(HB) value, a parameter for estimating the content of pigme nts in animal tissues, and myoglobin content in model systems (rice fl our paste and meat paste). Especially, the I(HB) value is proportional to myoglobin content in intact beef and pork meat whose myoglobin is mostly in the state of oxymyoglobin and/or deoxymyoglobin: y = 208.26 x + 6.72, where y is the I(HB) value, x is the myoglobin content (%) a nd r = 0.94.