COLOR CHANGES ON THE SURFACE OF PIG MUSCU LATURE AT VARIOUS RELATIVE HUMIDITIES IN THE COOLING AIR

The influence of cooling at different relative humidities (80, 90 and 100 %) on the redox status of myoglobin and the colour of the muscle s urface (M. longissimus dorsi) of pork sides was examined. The slowest myoglobin oxidation to metmyoglobin was observed at 100 % and the slow est oxygenation to oxymyoglobin at 80 % R.H. The difference in myoglob in oxidation did not affect the colour of the muscle surface very much . The colour brightness of the sample surface declined as the degree o f drying increased and the metmyoglobin portion rose. The red value of the sample showed no direct connection with drying or myoglobin chang e. The yellow value increased as the oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin por tion rose. The colour of the muscle surfaces is affected least by rela tive humidities between 90 an 100 %, irrespective of the cooling metho d.