Food waste affects every American consumer. The United States wastes more than 84 million tons of edible food a year, and meat contributes 22 percent of the total food loss (Dou et al., 2016). Consumers typically prefer a bright cherry-red meat color when purchasing meat products, and discoloration has a negative impact on buying decisions, which in turn can lead to food waste.
Myoglobin is the heme protein primarily responsible for meat color. Depending on the iron valence state and the ligand attached, myoglobin occurs in three different forms: deoxymyoglobin, oxymyoglobin and metmyoglobin. Deoxymyoglobin imparts a purplish dark red while oxymyoglobin gives a bright red color. Discoloration occurs by the oxidation of deoxy-/oxymyoglobin, forming metmyoglobin and brown surface color.