Factors, prevention, and predictability of the pink color defect in uncured fully cooked chicken breast meat

The occurrence of the pink color defect in poultry white meat results in serious economic losses to processors because of the association with undercooking by the consumer. A reduction in the occurrence of the pink color defect can be achieved by carefully controlling the processes to which live birds are exposed, using tailored marinade formulations to control the physical and chemical characteristics of the muscle, and monitoring the quality of water used in processing applications. A pinking prediction equation was established by utilizing the individual cooked muscle pH and oxidation reduction potential (ORP) to determine the probability of pink color formation. The ultimate method for controlling the pink color defect would be to sort raw chicken breast by color (pH) to further utilize marinade formulation to minimize the probability of pink color formation as well as account for yield factors.