Some ground beef patties developed an
internal, brown cooked color and looked well-done
at temperatures as low as 13 1EF, whereas
normal patties were re d to pink. The premature
brown color was not relate d to percent fat; patty
compaction; animal source and maturity; pH
(5.5 to 5.8); or concentrations of raw patty
heme and nonhemeiron, myoglobin, and total
pigment. Because oxidation-reduction potential
and total reducing activities were higher (P<.05)
and TBA numbers were lower (P<.05) in
normal than prematurely brown patties, the
brown color is apparently related to greater
patty oxidation.
