Carbon Monoxide, Nitric Oxide, and Nitrogen Dioxide Levels in Gas Ovens Related to Surface Pinking of Cooked Beef and Turkey

Limiting Pink Discoloration in Cooked Ground Turkey in the Absence or Presence of Sodium Tripolyphosphate Produced from Presalted and Stored Raw Ground Breasts

The effects of pink inhibiting ingredients (PII) to eliminate the pink color defect in cooked turkey breast produced from presalted and stored raw ground turkey in the absence or presence of sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) were examined. Ground turkey breast was mixed with 2% sodium chloride and vacuum packaged. After storage for 6 d, ten PII were individually incorporated without or with added STP (0.5%) as follows: none (control), citric acid (CA; 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%), calcium chloride (CC; 0.025%, 0.05%), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt (EDTA; 0.005%, 0.01%), and sodium citrate (SC; 0.5%, 1.0%). Treatments were cooked at a fast or slow cooking rate, cooled, and stored before analysis. All PII tested were capable of lowering inherent pink color compared to the control (No STP: CIE a* pooled day reduction of 23.0%, 5.2%, 12.6%, and 12.6% for CA, CC, EDTA, and SC, respectively; STP: reduction of 21.5%, 17.4%, 6.0%, and 18.2% for CA, CC, EDTA, and SC, respectively). For samples without STP, fast cooking rate resulted in higher CIE a*. However, slow cooking resulted in more red products than fast cooking when samples included STP. Presalting and storage of ground turkey caused the pink discoloration in uncured, cooked turkey (CIE a* 6.24 and 5.12 for without and with STP). This pink discoloration can be decreased by inclusion of CA, CC, EDTA, or SC, but incorporation of CA decreased cooking yield. In particular, the addition of SC may provide some control without negatively impacting the cooking yield.

Undesirable discoloration in edible fish muscle: Impact of indigenous pigments, chemical reactions, processing, and its prevention

Fish is rich in proteins and lipids, especially those containing polyunsaturated fatty acids, which made them vulnerable to chemical or microbial changes associated with quality loss. Meat color is one of vital criteria indicating the freshness, quality, and acceptability of the meat. Color of meat is governed by the presence of various pigments such as hemoglobin, myoglobin (Mb), and so on. Mb, particularly oxy-form, is responsible for the bright red color of fish muscle, especially tuna, and dark fleshed fish, while astaxanthin (AXT) directly determines the color of salmonids muscle. Microbial spoilage and chemical changes such as oxidation of lipid/proteins result in the autoxidation of Mb or fading of AXT, leading to undesirable color with lower acceptability. The discoloration has been affected by chemical composition, post-harvesting handling or storage, processing, cooking, and so on . To tackle discoloration of fish meat, vacuum or modified atmospheric packaging, low- or ultralow-temperature storage, uses of artificial and natural additives have been employed. This review article provides information regarding the factors affecting color and other quality aspects of fish muscle. Moreover, promising methodologies used to control discoloration are also focused.

The Effects of Addition Timing of NaCl and Sodium Tripolyphosphate and Cooking Rate on Pink Color in Cooked Ground Chicken Breasts

The current study investigated the effects of timing of NaCl (2%) and sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP, 0.5%) addition and cooking rates on color and pigment properties of ground chicken breasts. Four treatments were tested as follows: treatment 1, no NaCl and STPP added and stored for 7 d; treatment 2, NaCl+STPP added on 0 d and stored for 7 d; treatment 3, NaCl added on 0 d and STPP added on 7 d; and treatment 4, stored for 7 d and NaCl+STPP added. All samples were cooked at a fast (5.67°C/min) or slow cooking rate (2.16°C/min). Regardless of the timing of NaCl and STPP addition, reflectance ratios of nitrosyl hemochrome, cooking yield, pH values, oxidation-reduction potential, and percent myoglobin denaturation were similar (p>0.05) across treatments 2, 3, and 4. The highest CIE a* values were observed in treatment 4 (p<0.05), while treatment 2 was effective in reducing the redness in cooked chicken products. The fast cooking rate resulted in lower CIE a* values and higher CIE L* values and cooking yield in cooked chicken breasts compared to the slow cooking rate. Our results indicate that adding NaCl and STPP to meat, followed by storing and cooking at a fast rate, may result in inhibiting the pink color defect sporadically occurred in cooked ground chicken breasts.

Presalting Condition Effects on the Development of Pink Color in Cooked Ground Chicken Breasts

The effects of presalting conditions (storage temperature and duration) with/without sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) on the color and pigment characteristics of cooked ground chicken breast were investigated. Meat mixtures containing 2% NaCl (control) or 2% NaCl and 0.5% STPP (STPP treatment) were stored for 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10 d at 2°C or 7°C, followed by cooking to 75°C, and cooling and storage at 2°C-3°C until further analysis. The treatment was the most effective on the pink color defect of all independent variables. The effect of storage temperature was only observed on CIE L* values and percentage myoglobin denaturation (PMD). The control was redder than the STPP treated samples and the CIE a* values increased (p<0.05) from 0 to 5 d in the control and STPP treated samples. Compared to the STPP treatment, the control exhibited increased reducing conditions (more negative oxidation reduction potential), lower undenatured myoglobin, and greater PMD. No differences in the cooking yields of the control and STPP-treated samples were observed for various storage durations. Products with STPP showed higher (p<0.05) pH values than those without STPP, but no differences (p>0.05) in PMD were observed over the storage period in the control and STPP treated samples, except for day 0. Thus, STPP is effective at reducing the pink color in cooked chicken breasts. In addition, presalting for longer than 5 d resulted in increased pink color of the cooked chicken breasts.

Evaluation of induced color changes in chicken breast meat during simulation of pink color defect

The objective of the study was to establish a pink threshold and simulate the pink defect in cooked chicken breast meat with treatment combinations that would induce significant changes in the color of raw and cooked meat. The subjective pink threshold used in judging pink discoloration was established at a* = 3.8. Samples of three color groups (normal, lighter than normal, and darker than normal) of boneless, skinless chicken breast muscles were selected based on instrumental color values. The in situ changes were induced using sodium chloride, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite at two levels: present and not present. Fillets in all treatments were subjected to individual injections, followed by tumbling, cooking, and chilling. Samples were analyzed for color [lightness (L*), red/green axis (a*), yellow/blue axis (b*)] and reflectance spectra. Simulation of the pink defect was achieved in eight of the 16 treatment combinations when sodium nitrite was present and in an additional two treatment combinations when it was absent. Pinking in cooked samples was affected (P < 0.05) by L* of raw meat color. Results confirmed that it was possible to simulate the undesired pinking in cooked chicken white meat when in situ conditions were induced by sodium chloride, sodium tripolyphosphate, and sodium nitrite. The continuation of the simulation study can aid in developing alternative processing methods to eliminate potential pink defects.