Color of Meat

There are several factors which affect the color of uncooked meat. Some of these factors are:
Species, age, and sex of the animal
Cut of meat
Waterholding capacity of the meat
Surface drying of the meat
Surface spoilage of the meat
Wavelength of light striking the meat surface

In general, beef and lamb or mutton have more of a red color than do veal, fish, and poultry. The following table shows the most typical color of different meats.

Optimum Color of Pork

The optimum color for pork as shown on the following scale (1-6) would be anywhere between 2.0 and 5.0