Prized quality attribute or serious color defect?
If you took a piece of cooked beef out of a production oven, sliced it, and saw a distinct pink ring around the outside edges, would you be pleased or alarmed? The answer, of course, depends on what product you were trying to make. In roast beef, for example, pink ring is generally considered a serious color defect because consumers might associate it with undercooking (Cornforth et al., 1991). For barbecue meats, on the other hand, pink ring is often a prized quality attribute because it enhances the product’s “pit-smoked” appearance. What causes the pink ring, and how can it be controlled? Let me summarize the results of a recently completed study on surface pinking that discusses what causes the pink ring, and how it can be controlled. This study was the result of a joint research project by ALKAR, the Institute of Gas Technology, Maxon Corp. and Utah State University. I will also tell you how this research can be used to either prevent or create pink ring in non-cured meats. What C
