Ever Wondered Why Is Meat Red In Color?

By Nandini Sharma|April 8, 20180 Comment

People who purchase raw meat products often notice a red colored juice that collects in the package of meat. Most of them usually assume it to be blood. The fact is, it’s not blood but a mixture of water and a protein called myoglobin. But what relation does it have with the color of the meat? Let us find out!

Why Is Meat Red in color | Discoverfoodtech.com

Why Is Meat Red In Color?

Meat comes from animals and is a rich source of protein for the humans. Red meat comprises of those muscles that perform a lot of physical work. Myoglobin as a protein helps in the transportation of oxygen to these muscles. Oxygen herein provides energy for the proper functioning of these muscles. Since it is heavily pigmented it provides the characteristic red color to the meat. So the more the muscles are used, the more myoglobin they’ll contain and hence darker will be its color.

The red color acts as an indicator for perfectly cooked and freshness of the meat. When meat is cooked the proteins coagulate and release their moisture. Hence myoglobin turns from red to grayish-brown in color when it gets heated. Also when the meat is exposed to air for long, it turns brown in color. Therefore, fresher is the meat, more it is red in color.

Reference

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/25/myoglobin-red-meat.aspx

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