color

This is a meat evaluation criterion in which the color of the muscle and the fat is observed. For bovines, the intensity of the meat’s color depends on age, breed and diet. In France, the consumer looks for strongly colored meat, as is the case in Ireland, southern Italy and Greece. Meat that is too light will have less value. A dark, firm, dry (DFD) meat has a pH that is too high, over 7, and is not marketed. For veal, a reference grid to evaluate the meat’s color is used. It has five levels: white, very light pink, light pink, pink and red. Colorimeters are used for a semi-automated classification.