JFS: Food Chemistry and Toxicology

Effects of Endpoint Temperature on the Internal

Color of Pork Loin Chops of Different Quality
R. LIEN, M.C. HUNT, S. ANDERSON, D.H. KROPF, T.M. LOUGHIN, M.E. DIKEMAN, AND J. VELAZCO

ABSTRACT: The effects of 5 endpoint temperatures for cooked, internal color were determined for boneless pork

Food Chemistry and Toxicology

longissimus muscle from 4 treatment groups: normal, normal-injected, PSE, and DFD. Visual and instrumental
color, myoglobin denaturation, and acid phosphatase (ACP) of raw and cooked samples were evaluated. Visual
internal color became (P < 0.05) less pink as endpoint temperature increased; however, DFD chops were more
pink (P < 0.05) and PSE chops were less pink (P < 0.05) than other treatments at most endpoint temperatures.
Cooked color was similar (P > 0.05) for chops from normal and normal-injected groups. Myoglobin denatur-
ation increased as endpoint temperature increased. ACP activity in raw chops was not affected by treatment
group and it was a good indicator of doneness at 71.1 °C.
Keywords: pork, myoglobin denaturation, ACP activity, cooking, color

Introduction mal, normal injected, PSE (pale, soft and exudative), and DFD

C ONSUMERS HISTORICALLY OVERCOOK PORK BECAUSE OF CONCERNS

over Trichinella spiralis. However, this parasite is heat-sensi-
tive and was killed at 58.3 °C (Carlin and others 1969), a temper-
ature below that associated with a rare state of doneness. In ad-
dition, many consumers believe cooked pork with a pink internal
color is unsafe, yet at the same time, they want tender, juicy, and
flavorful pork on the plate. Internal color has been used reliably
as a measure of desired doneness for whole-muscle beef for
years. By contrast, relationships between endpoint temperature
and internal cooked color of pork have not been established. Fur-
thermore, the issues of premature browning make doneness
judgments based on color of ground products unsafe (Hague
and others 1994; Van Laack and others 1996; Warren and others
1996; Hunt and others 1999). On the other hand, persistent pink
colors cause consumers to assume the product is unsafe and un-
dercooked when in fact it is safe (Cornforth and others 1986;
Mendenhall 1989; Trout 1989). USDA (1997) recommended cook-
ing ground beef to 71 °C and the FDA (1997) suggested several
time-temperature combinations for safe cooking of pork.
Numerous factors affect the appearance of cooked meat, in-
cluding muscle pH and inherent meat quality (Kropf and Hunt
1998). To ensure safe thermal processing, pork should reach
some minimum internal temperature and, to maximize eating
quality, pork should not be overcooked. However, the internal
cooked color development of whole-muscle pork and pork inject-
ed with water and other ingredients, a current practice, has not
been firmly established. This study examined the effects of end-
point temperature on the internal color of pork longissimus mus-
cle from loins of different quality or that had been injected.
Materials and Methods
(dark, firm, and dry). In addition, pH (determined using a stain-
less steel probe electrode attached to a portable pH meter
(probe=MXF – 6700F; meter = HM – 17MX; Cypress Systems, Inc,
Lawrence; Kans., U.S.A.) was used to help assign loins to treat-
ment groups (Table 1). A group of normal loins was pump-inject-
ed (7%) with a solution containing 95.5% water and 4.5% sodium
tripolyphosphate (0.315% in the loin), following the standard
plant operation protocol. All loins were vacuum-packaged and
transported to the Kansas State University Meat Laboratory. A
sample (2.5 cm3) was removed from each loin (which had never
been frozen), weighed, and hung on a hook suspended from the
lid of a plastic container at 22 °C. The samples were removed at
24 h from the hook and re-weighed and percent drip was calcu-
lated as:(initial weight – final weight ÷ initial weight) x 100. Then
loin chops were cut 2.5 cm in thickness, briefly chilled at -40 °C to
help maintain their shape, vacuum-packaged, and stored at -
28.8 °C.
Cooking procedures
Loin chops were thawed overnight at 1 °C and oven-broiled in
a Blodgett convection oven at 176.7 °C to 1 of 5 endpoint temper-
atures: 62.8 °C for 3 min, 65.6 °C for 1 min, and 71.1 °C, 76.7 °C, or
82.2 °C all for 1 s. Cooking times and temperatures met the re-
quirements of the FDA Food Code (FDA 1999). The chops were
turned once at approximately half-way through the cooking
time. Internal temperatures were monitored using a Minitrend
205 recorder (VAF Engineering, San Francisco, Calif., U.S.A.) and
thermocouple wires were inserted into the geometric center of
the chops prior to cooking. Chops were removed from the oven 1
to 3 °C before the designated endpoint temperature was reached
to allow for post-cooking temperature rise.

Meat selection and preparation Color evaluation

Forty-eight boneless pork loins (#413, NAMP 1997) were se- Raw exterior color of thawed chops was evaluated visually pri-
lected at a commercial plant at 48 h post mortem. These were or to cooking by 3 panelists using a 5-point color scale to the near-
evaluated visually for color, firmness, and exudativeness (NPPC est one-half point (1 = very pale, 2 = slightly pale, 3 = normal color,
1991) and 12 were assigned to each of 4 treatment groups: nor- 4 = slightly dark purplish-red, 5 = very dark purplish-red). After

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 Internal color of cooked pork . . .

cooking, loin chops were sliced through the center perpendicular Table 1—Least square means for raw pork loin chops from
to the flat surfaces. Three panelists scored the cooked color to different qualities d
the nearest one-half point on a 5-point color scale (1 = purplish Treatment Groups
red to pinkish red, 2 = moderately pink, 3 = slightly pink, 4 = very Normal
slightly pink to tannish white, 5=tannish white with no evidence Trait DFD Normal injected PSE SE
of pink). Warm white fluorescent bulbs at 538 lux were used for il- pH 6.6c 5.6b 5.6b 5.2a 0.2
lumination. After visual evaluation, patties were cut parallel to Visual color e 4.3c 2.9b 2.7b 1.8a 0.1
the flat surface. Color was evaluated instrumentally using the L* value 42.4a 54.6b 53.9b 61.9c 1.0
Hunterlab LabScan 6000 (Hunterlab, Reston, Va., U.S.A.) with an a* value 7.7a 10.5b 10.9b 10.7b 0.5
b* value 13.2a 18.3b 18.8bc 19.9c 0.4
aperture of 2.54 cm. CIE L*a*b* values (CIE 1976) for Illuminant
Saturation index f 15.4b 21.1c 11.7a 22.6c 0.6
C and reflectance at 580 and 630 nm were determined on 3 patty Hue angle f 88.3a 89.1b 89.1b 89.3c 0.1
locations. Reflectance ratios (630 nm / 580 nm), hue angle [(b*/ Drip loss, % 0.9a 1.6ab 1.8b 3.3c 0.3
a*) tan-1], and saturation index [(a*2 + b*2) 1/2] were calculated. Myoglobin, mg/g 1.3c 0.9b 0.8ab 0.7a 0.1
Food Chemistry and Toxicology

ACP g, units/kg 18.5a 18.8a 15.3a 17.5a 2.4

Acid phosphatase test
Samples from the geometric center (20 g) of raw and cooked
loin chops were extracted for acid phosphatase activity (ACP) de-
terminations (Davis 1998). Samples were prepared as described
in the Fluorophos® assay (Test System Model FLM 200; Ad-
vanced Instruments, Inc., Norwood, Mass.,U.S.A.). Samples
were minced, placed on a filter, juice was expressed using an
electrical press (One Shot®, Whatman Chemical Company, Clift-
on, N.J.,U.S.A.) and the juice assayed for ACP units of activity per
kg.
Myoglobin concentration
The remaining portion of the raw and cooked loin chops (ap-
prox. 130 g) was blended with 5 volumes of cold 40 mM phos-
phate buffer at pH 6.8 for 15 s (Warriss 1979). Mixtures were
stored at 1 °C for 1 h and then centrifuged at 17000 x g at 4 °C for
1 h. The supernatant was filtered through a syringe filter (0.45
mm) into spectrophotometer vials. Sodium hydrosulfite (3 to 4
crystals) was added to the filtered solution to ensure pigment re-
duction. Samples were read with a Hitachi U-20101 Spectropho-
tometer (Hitachi Instruments Inc.,San Jose, Calif.,U.S.A.) to
check pigment reduction. Absorbency at 418 nm was used to cal-
culate myoglobin concentration using appropriate dilution frac-
tions and a millimolar extinction coefficient of 128000(Antonini
and Brunori 1971). Percentage myoglobin denaturation was cal-
culated as: (% myoglobin in raw chops – % myoglobin in cooked
chops) ÷ % myoglobin in raw chops x 100.
Statistical analysis
Data were analyzed using a split-plot design where the whole
plot was the treatment group (n = 4) and the subplot was end-
point temperature. Ten replications of all measurements were
conducted. Data were analyzed by PROC MIXED of the Statisti-
cal Analysis System (SAS 1998) and significant differences (LSDs)
were assigned at P < 0.05.
Results and Discussion
Raw product traits
DFD meat had the highest (P< 0.05) pH (6.6), chops from nor-
mal and normal-injected loins were intermediate in pH (5.6) and
chops from PSE loins had the lowest pH (5.2, Table 1). Similarly,
van der Wal and others (1988) reported that DFD meat had a pH
of 6.6, normal pork had a pH value of 5.6; their pH for PSE pork
was slightly higher than ours. Fox and others (1980) reported pH
values below 5.4 for PSE meat. Lewis and others (1987) classified
DFD meat as having a pH>6.2, and normal meat a pH < 5.8. Drip
loss values were lowest for DFD samples (P < 0.05) compared to
the other treatment groups (Table 1). Normal-injected and nor-
a-c Means in a row with a different superscript letter differ (P<0.05).
d Treatment groups: DFD = dark, firm and dry, PSE = pale, soft and exudative,
Normal = loin chops with normal characteristics, Normal injected = normal
loins injected 7% pump.
e Visual color scale 1= very pale, 2 = slightly pale, 3 = normal color,
4 = slightly dark, 5 = very dark.
f Saturation index = (a *2 + b* 2 ) 1/2 ; hue angle = (b*/a*)tan -1 .
g ACP = Acid phosphatase test.
mal loin chops had similar values (1.8% and 1.6%). The highest
(P < 0.05) drip losses were obtained for PSE meat(3.3%). Kauff-
man and others (1986) reported higher drip losses for PSE
meat(5.0%), followed by normal meat(3.0%), and DFD meat had
the lowest drip loss(1.7%). Other researchers have indicated that
DFD meat had less drip loss than normal and PSE meat (Lewis
and others 1987; Bendall and Swatland 1988; van der Wal and
others 1988; Enfält and others 1993).
Visual and instrumental color data for raw longissimus muscle
are shown in Table 1. Loin color was darkest (P<0.05) for DFD
meat. Normal-injected and normal loin chops had intermediate
but similar (P > 0.05) color scores. The PSE loin chops had the pal-
est visual scores (P < 0.05). According to other researchers, a
“more desirable” color was found in normal meat than in PSE
meat (Fox and others 1980), and color scores of the DFD loins
were reported to be darker than normal and PSE loins (van der
Wal and others 1988).
Instrumental color measurements confirmed the visual
scores for quality groups. Chops that were DFD had the lowest L*
values (darkest), the normal and normal-injected groups were
intermediate, and PSE chops had the highest (lightest) L* val-
ues. Our findings were in accordance with those of van der Wal
and others (1988), who found a L* value of 42.7 for DFD meat,
53.5 for normal pork, and 59.2 for PSE pork. DFD chops had lower
a* and b* values (P<0.05) than normal-injected, normal, and PSE
groups. No differences for a* existed between the normal groups
and PSE. Although the PSE had higher b* values than the normal
group, the differences were small. Research by van der Wal and
others (1988) showed that a* values for DFD pork were not differ-
ent (P> 0.05) than values for PSE pork. Saturation indices for
DFD chops were lower (P < 0.05) than for normal and PSE chops.
Normal-injected chops had the lowest saturation index (11.7),
which was perhaps caused by a dilution effect from the injection
ingredients. Hue angle values averaged 88.3 for DFD chops,
which were lower (less brown) than normal-injected (89.1), nor-
mal (89.1), and PSE meat (89.3). However, no differences were
detected (P > 0.05) for hue angle between normal and normal-in-
jected meat.
Acid phosphatase (ACP) activities were not different
(P > 0.05) among treatment groups. Apparently, ACP activity was

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 Internal color of cooked pork . . .

Table 2—Least square means of pork loin chops of different quality types f cooked to 5 endpoint temperatures
Treatment Endpoint temperature (°C)
Trait group 62.8° 65.6° 71.1° 76.7° 82.2° SE
Visual color g DFD w1.5a w2.1b w2.9c w3.7d w4.3e 0.3
Normal x2.6a x2.8b w3.3c wx3.9cd wx4.7d

Normal injected w1.9a x2.9ac x3.9 c x4.3d wx4.7e

PSE x2.8a x2.9a x3.9bc x4.2 c x4.9d

SE 0.2
L* value DFD w68.8a w70.0a w69.2a w70.4a w71.0a 1.3
Normal wx70.7a w72.3ab x71.7ab x73.0ab w73.4b

Normal injected x71.7a w72.3a x73.5a x72.9a w73.1a

PSE wx70.6a w72.1a x72.2a wx72.6a w70.9a

SE 1.2
a* value DFD x4.6c x4.0cb x3.3ab x2.8a w2.3a 0.5

Food Chemistry and Toxicology

Normal w3.3c w2.9bc wx2.6bc wx1.9ab w1.4a

Normal injected w3.3b w2.5ab w1.9a wx2.1a w1.6a

PSE w3.6b w2.7ab w2.2a w1.7a w1.6a

SE 0.5
b* value DFD x18.4b x18.5b x18.5b x17.3ab x16.5a 0.6
Normal w17.0bc x17.4 c x17.4 c w15.9b w14.5a

Normal injected w17.2c w16.3bc w15.8b w15.7b w14.5a

PSE w17.2c w15.9b w16.2bc w15.1ab w14.1a

SE 0.5
Saturation index h DFD x19.1 c y18.9 c y18.8bc x17.5ab x16.7a 0.7
Normal w17.4c x17.7 c x17.6 c w16.1b w14.6a

Normal injected w17.6c wx16.5bc w15.9b w15.8ab w14.7a

PSE w17.7c w16.2b w16.4b w15.2ab w14.2a

SE 0.3
Hue angle h DFD w76.1a w77.9a x79.8b w80.8bc w82.1c 7.9
Normal w79.5a w80.9ab x81.5bc w83.1c w84.7c

Normal injected w79.1a w81.1ab x83.6bc w82.5cd w83.9d

PSE w78.7a w80.6ab w56.9bc w83.7c w83.4c

SE 7.9
Myoglobin DFD w56.3a w56.5a w71.7b w79.8bc w84.1c 6.0
denaturation,% Normal w51.9a w57.9ab w64.1bc w74.4cd w85.3d

Normal injected w53.7a w60.5ab x70.8bc w77.8c w82.0c

PSE w56.7a w62.9ab w74.3bc w77.5c w82.0c

SE 6.0
ACP i, units/kg DFD w7.2b w3.5a w1.2a w0.9a w0.6a 1.8
Normal w8.8b x8.5b w1.7a w1.1a w0.7a

Normal injected x15.4 c x8.1b w2.1a w1.2a w0.7a

PSE w8.9b wx5.8b w1.5a w1.3a w0.6a

SE 1.8
a-e Means in a row with a different superscript letter differ (P<0.05).
w-z Means in a column for each trait with a different superscript differ (P<0.05).
f Pork chops treatment groups: DFD = dark, firm, and dry, PSE = pale, soft and exudative, Normal = chops with normal characteristics, Normal injected =
chops injected at 7% pump.
g Visual color : 1 = purplish red to pinkish red, 2 = moderately pink, 3 = slightly pink, 4 = very slightly pink to tannish white,5= tannish white, no evidence of
pink.
h Saturation index = (a *2 + b* 2 ) 1/2 ; hue angle = (b*/a*)tan -1 .
i ACP = Acid phosphatase.

not affected by pH and factors contributing to PSE. The slightly
lower values of ACP in injected loins again may be a dilution ef-
fect.
Raw DFD chops had a myoglobin concentration of 1.3 mg/g,
normal chops had 0.9 mg/g, normal injected chops had 0.8 mg/g,
and PSE had a myoglobin concentration of 0.7 mg/g. Our find-
ings are consistent with those of Fox and others (1980) who found
0.93 mg of total pigment per gram of normal meat and 0.64 mg/g
in PSE pork chops.
Data for cooked pork
Visual color scores increased (became less pink) as endpoint
temperature increased (Table 2). However, above 71.1 °C, chops
from normal, normal-injected, and PSE were not visually differ-
ent (P > 0.05). DFD chops had lower visual scores (more pink)
than the other treatment groups at each endpoint temperature.
Lewis and others (1987)found that DFD psoas major muscle had
lower doneness scores than normal muscle cooked to 76 °C,
which relates to the greater pinkness observed at all tempera-
tures for DFD chops in our study. Howe and others (1982) have
shown that the rate of change in visual color of loin chops de-
clined with temperature increases beyond 70 °C, which also is
consistent with our findings.
Overall, the instrumental color values confirmed the visual
color changes due to treatment group and endpoint tempera-
ture. L* values (Table 2) for DFD, PSE, and normal-injected meat
did not change significantly as endpoint temperature increased.
However, normal loin chops were lighter at 82.2 °C than at
62.8 °C. Differences in L* values due to treatment group were
small, but the chops that were DFD tended to have lower values
at the lower endpoint temperatures. Values for a* and b* de-
creased as endpoint temperature increased (Table 2). Howe and
others (1982) also reported decreased a* values for pork at higher
endpoint temperatures. Overall, there was a trend for both a*

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 Internal color of cooked pork . . .
and b* values to be greater for DFD chops than for other treat-
ment groups.
DFD chops were more saturated and lower in hue angles than
the other 3 treatment groups. When a* and b* values were com-
bined into a saturation index (larger values indicate more in-
tense pink or red) and hue angle (larger values indicate more-
gray-brown color for cooked meat), DFD chops were more
saturated and had lower hue angles. As endpoint temperature
increased, saturation index decreased and hue angles increased
as expected. For all instrumental measurements of color, more
differences were noted at 62.8 °C and 65.8 °C endpoints. Once
71.1 °C was reached, differences became less apparent.
Food Chemistry and Toxicology
Myoglobin denaturation and ACP
As expected, denaturation increased as endpoint tempera-
ture increased within each treatment group (Table 2). Trout
(1988), Bernofsky and others (1959) and Howe and others (1982)
also have reported this change. No differences in myoglobin de-
naturation occurred among treatment groups.
Acid phosphatase is an enzyme with potential for monitor-
ing temperature endpoints of cooked muscle (Davis 1998). The
highest ACP activity was detected at the lowest endpoint tem-
perature, less at 65.8 °C; at 71.1 °C or above, little ACP activity
remained. Research by Schoenbeck (1998) indicated that as a
beef patty reaches the internal endpoint temperature of 77 °C
or above, the ACP activity remains low and fairly constant. A
larger degree of sampling variation occurred at the 2 lower end-
points, resulting in some unexplainable treatment group differ-
ences. At 62.8 °C, the normal-injected chops had more ACP ac-
tivity than the other treatment groups, but at 65.6 °C, the DFD
chops had the least. ACP activity could be used to verify that
endpoint temperatures have reached 71.1 °C, but additional
work is needed.
Conclusion
A S EXPECTED, INCREASING THE ENDPOINT TEMPERATURE WILL IN
crease the visual degree of doneness of loin chops and they
will appear less pink internally. However, chops can still have a
pink color even when cooked at safe-to-eat time-temperature
endpoints. DFD chops remained pinker than the other treat-
ments at every endpoint temperature and PSE chops tend to
have less pink color than normal quality pork chops. Enhancing
the quality of loins by injection of water and phosphate will not
affect cooked color development as long as the pH of the loins is
not significantly increased. Myoglobin denaturation increases as
endpoint temperature increases regardless of pork quality or in-
jected additions. Acid phosphatase activity of the raw meat was
not affected by the muscle pH, quality, or injection. ACP activity
in cooked pork appears to be a good indicator of when chops
reach 71 °C, but it will not differentiate temperatures below and
above this point.
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MS 20010217 Submitted 5/4/01, Accepted 7/23/01, Received 9/12/01
Contribution No. 01-339-J from the Kansas Agr. Exp. Station, Manhattan, KS 66506
Authors are with Kansas State Univ., Animal Sciences and Industry, 232
Weber Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201. Direct inquiries to author Hunt (E-
mail: hhunt@oznet.ksu.edu).
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