THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REFLECTANCE (EEL VALUE) AND COLOR (L-ASTERISK) IN PORK LOINS

The relationships between reflectance values measured with an EEL refl ectometer, and CIELAB L star a star b star coordinates measured with a tristimulus meter, were determined using 572 samples of pork m. longi ssimus dorsi. These samples covered the muscle colour/condition range from extreme pale, soft, exudative (PSE) to extreme dark, firm, dry (D FD). There was a good (r=0.91) and slightly curoilinear relationship b etween L star value and reflectance, the other relationships being sig nificantly poorer. Based on these findings, pork loins with L star val ues between 49 and 60 would on average have consistently good visual a ppeal using criteria in the Meat and Livestock Commission blueprint fo r quality pork.