POSSIBILITY TO EVALUATE MEAT COLOUR USING PHOTOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

This study is aimed to develop a reliable procedure for meat color evaluation in quality control. Colour was measured on samples 5x5x4 cm of longissimus thoracis steaks from Piemontese (A), Aberdeen Angus (B), Charolaise (C), Piemontese x Limousine (D), Blonde Aquitaine (E), Friesian (F), using a Minolta 331C chroma meter. Simultaneously, meat samples were photographed and printed in previously tested conditions. Then the colour was evaluated by a consumer panel with a ranking test. Panel also carried out a matching test to verify the correspondence of meat picture colour with colour of raw meat. Consumers preferred the colour of E, A and D, which showed higher Lightness and Hue. F and B had the darker colour. The 63% of consumers correctly matched picture with meat colour of E. In the other cases panel had more or less difficulties in matching picture and meat sample. Instrumental colour measurement discriminated two groups of meat. Consequently, the panel had difficulties to discriminate meat colours within each group due to very similar colorimetric characteristics. Nevertheless, these results do not invalidate the possibility of meat colour assessment by pictures, if standard operating procedures for acquisition of the images are followed.