Dustin Boler The Ohio State University

Publish Date: May 15, 2012

Humans use color and marbling to judge the ‘value’ or quality of a product, often comparing and choosing a product based on expectations and past experiences. Choices made based on visual evaluation, which requires no physical contact, pose very little risk; therefore, when a product does not meet ‘color expectations’, it is an easy decision to deem a product ‘unacceptable’. Color and marbling influences purchasing decisions as to whether a food is acceptable for consumption so measuring these aspects are important to the industry.

Publish Date: April 6, 2012

Reviewed June 2020 The properties of fresh and processed pork are dependent on factors related to composition of the product such as moisture, lipid and protein content. It is important to recognize, however, that it is not just the amount of these components, but rather the characteristics of protein, lipid and water that are responsible for differences in pork color, texture, water holding capacity and tenderness. In many cases, it is the proteins in pork that are primarily important in the variations that are observed in these traits. The state and nature of proteins are primarily responsible for pork color, pork texture, pork tenderness and water holding capacity.