Colour stabilising substances

The desired colour of meat products is one of the crucial attributes of high quality. Thus, it is extremely important to acquire the proper product colour. Defining the appropriate colour is exceptionally difficult, because meat products are quite diversified. The colour of meat and meat products is a sight sensation evoked mainly by the presence of pigments, but its intensity also depends on tissue composition and raw material structure as well as the pigments' chemical state.

The proportions of the stuffing's basic contents, i.e. meat, fat and water, determine the amount of pigments, first in the stuffing, then in the final product. Among the technological conditions, the one influencing colour the most is the correctness of the processes of pickling, curing and brewing. It is also necessary to remember that colour evaluation is influenced by the degree of grinding of the materials and its correspondence with the consumer's expectations.

The content of hem pigments plays a crucial role in the shaping of meat products' colour. The most important among them is myoglobin, a muscle pigment, because it constitutes about 90% of all pigments present in meat material.

DAN-POL recommends using substances that facilitate meat products colouring based on natural substances, which are extracts of spices, red wine and natural muscle tissue pigments.