END-POINT TEMPERATURE, INTERNAL COOKED COLOR, AND EXPRESSIBLE JUICE COLOR RELATIONSHIPS IN-GROUND BEEF PATTIES

Ground beef patties from A- and E-maturity carcasses and imported trim mings were cooked to 55 to 77 degrees C. Internal patty color became l ess red as endpoint temperature increased. However, some patties cooke d to lower temperatures turned brown prematurely. Visual evaluation of internal patty color was not an accurate indicator of patty doneness. Raw material source had little effect on internal patty color. Expres sible juices from imported trimmings were less red than those from A- and E-maturity carcasses. Expressible juice became less red and more y ellow with increasing endpoint temperature; however, expressible juice never ''ran clear.'' A more appropriate guideline would be ''cook unt il juices lack redness.''