0086 18165740359The color measurement of poultry meat (such as chicken, duck, turkey, etc.) is crucial in the food industry because color directly reflects the freshness, processing quality and consumer acceptance of poultry meat. The following is a detailed discussion on poultry meat color measurement, introducing its importance and measurement methods.
The Meaning of Poultry Meat Color
The color of animal meat is mainly determined by the redox state of myoglobin and the complexes formed between myoglobin and exogenous chemicals, as well as their chemical changes under different environmental conditions. Different types of poultry meat have different color characteristics.
1. Color Characteristics of Different Poultry Species
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Chicken: Fresh chicken breasts are generally light pink or light beige, while chicken thighs are darker in color, closer to red or purple.
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Duck: Due to its higher myoglobin content, duck meat is usually darker in color than chicken, generally reddish brown or dark red.
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Turkey: Turkey breast is closer in color to chicken, while turkey thighs are usually darker in color, slightly brown or dark red.
2. Main Factors Affecting Poultry Meat Color
Raw material factors
Myoglobin content: The higher the myoglobin content, the redder the meat, for example duck meat is darker than chicken.
Breed and feeding methods: The muscle color of free-range chickens and feed-fed chickens may be different, and the feed formula may also affect the color of the meat.
Processing and storage conditions
Oxygen content: When poultry meat is exposed to air, myoglobin combines with oxygen, causing the meat to darken and become bright red; if stored for a long time, it may become dark or brown.
pH: After slaughter, changes in pH can affect the color of poultry meat. Low pH (acidic) meat is generally light in color, while high pH (alkaline) meat is dark in color.
Temperature: Refrigeration at too low a temperature may cause myoglobin to oxidize, darkening the color of the meat.
Freezing time: Prolonged freezing may cause the color of poultry meat to fade and affect its appearance quality.
Processing method
Heat treatment: Cooking, smoking or high-temperature processing may cause poultry meat to change color from pink to white or brown.
Curing and additives: Curing meats may add ingredients such as nitrites, which change the color of the meat, making it bright red or pink.
3. Relationship Between Poultry Meat Color Change and Poultry Meat Quality
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Fresh poultry: Usually white, pink or light red (such as white for chicken breast and pink for duck), indicating freshness and lack of oxidation.
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Processed poultry: Poultry that has been cured, smoked or cooked may appear off-white, brown or yellow and needs to maintain consistency.
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Spoiled poultry: may turn dark, yellow or grey after prolonged storage or oxidation, indicating a loss of quality.
Why Measure Poultry Color?
Poultry color measurement is critical in poultry production and processing because it is the key basis for consumers to judge the freshness and quality of poultry meat. Through accurate color measurement, producers can not only meet consumer expectations, but also optimize production processes, ensure food safety and enhance brand reputation. The following details its importance from multiple aspects:
1. Ensure meat quality and freshness
The color of poultry meat directly reflects its freshness and safety, and is an important reference indicator for consumers when purchasing. Through color measurement, producers can quickly determine whether poultry meat meets freshness standards and promptly remove unqualified products, thereby ensuring that the meat delivered to consumers is of high quality and reducing returns or complaints due to color deviations.
2. Ensure food safety and reduce quality complaints
Abnormal poultry meat color is often an outward manifestation of problems during processing or storage. Accurate measurement can help detect potential safety hazards early. For example, dark red or purple meat may be due to low storage temperature or insufficient oxygen, resulting in reduced oxymyoglobin. A green or iridescent sheen is often a sign of myoglobin degradation, indicating that the meat may have gone bad. The yellow color of chicken may be related to feed composition, storage conditions or fat oxidation. By monitoring these color changes, food manufacturers can adjust processing and storage conditions in a timely manner to prevent substandard products from entering the market. This not only ensures food safety, but also significantly reduces the risk of consumer complaints due to quality issues.
3. Ensure processing consistency and improve brand reputation
For large meat processing companies, color measurement is a key link in maintaining product consistency and market competitiveness. Consumers tend to choose poultry products with stable colors because it represents the reliability of the brand. Through accurate color measurement, companies can monitor color changes during production, optimize processing and storage conditions, and ensure that products remain consistent throughout the supply chain, thereby enhancing the brand's market competitiveness.
Comprehensive significance
Poultry color measurement is not only a tool to meet consumers' visual expectations, but also an important means to ensure product quality, food safety and optimize production processes. It helps producers reduce economic losses caused by color deviations and win consumers' trust through stable product quality. For the modern poultry processing industry, color measurement has become an indispensable part, which is directly related to the company's reputation and market performance.
How to Measure Poultry Meat Color?
Poultry meat is an opaque solid sample and usually requires the use of reflected light measurement methods. The following are specific measurement steps, combined with a variety of instruments recommended by 3nh, to ensure that the measurement results are accurate and practical.
1. Sample Preparation
Select fresh or processed poultry meat samples (such as chicken , duck , turkey ) and cut them into flat thin slices (recommended thickness is 5-10 mm). Make sure the sample surface is clean and there is no fat, blood stains or excessive moisture to interfere with the measurement results.
2. Instrument selection and calibration
3nh offers a variety of instruments suitable for meat color measurement. The following are recommended devices and their features:
NS800 Spectrophotometer 45°/0°
Features: Portable design, lightweight and portable, convenient for on-site measurement, meeting the needs of different working environments. 45/0 optical geometry, supports a variety of color indicators and light sources, good repeatability.
Application scenarios: It can be used for detailed studies of meat color changes, such as the effects of oxidation, aging or processing on color.
Features: Equipped with a large 20mm aperture, suitable for measuring uneven surfaces with high accuracy.
Applicable scenarios: Especially suitable for large pieces of meat or meat products with irregular surfaces (such as steaks and sausages) to ensure color consistency detection.
Features: Portable instrument, provides spectral data, high measurement accuracy.
Applicable scenarios: Suitable for high-precision analysis of poultry meat color, such as fat content, doneness or color change after marinating, and can be used in quality control and research laboratories.
3. Measurement and recording
Place the selected 3nh instrument measuring port close to the meat surface and press the measuring key.
The instrument captures the color of the poultry surface through reflected light and generates L * a * b* values:
L * value: lightness (0-100, with higher values indicating brighter colors and lower values possibly indicating spoiled poultry).
a* value: red-green hue (positive value indicates reddish, negative value indicates greenish; fresh poultry such as duck meat is reddish, while chicken meat is white).
b* value: Yellow-blue hue (positive values indicate a yellowish tint, negative values indicate a bluish tint, used to assess subtle color differences in poultry, such as the yellowish color of turkey).
4. Environmental Control
Perform measurements in a room without direct light to avoid interference from light sources.
Keep the measurement environment temperature stable (20-25°C is recommended) and ensure that the sample surface is dry.
In short, poultry meat color measurement is a key link in food industry quality control and consumer trust. By using professional instruments such as NR20XE, TS7600 and NS800 produced by 3nh, combined with L*a*b* value analysis, producers can accurately evaluate the freshness and processing quality of poultry meat to ensure product consistency and market competitiveness. Whether it is solving practical problems in measurement or looking forward to intelligent trends, this technology provides strong support for meat production.
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