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April 4, 2026

Effects of High-pressure Processing, Packaging Types, and Storage Time on Tenderloin Color

Key Points

Determine the effects of high-pressure processing, packaging types, and storage time on tenderloin color.
Used fresh tenderloin muscles from a commercial supplier
Applied 0, 300, or 450 MPa pressure for 90 seconds
Packaged in various formats including vacuum and CO-MAP for display over 6 days
Measured surface color daily using HunterLab MiniScan
Applied statistical analysis using SAS
High-pressure processing improved redness immediately after application but not long-term
Nitrite-embedded film showed the most significant improvement in color retention versus other packaging
In CO-MAP, increased pressure was linked to higher oxidation levels with longer storage time

Abstract

Abstract Meat color is an important quality attribute that strongly influences consumer purchasing decisions and the economic value of meat products. The bright red color of fresh beef is associated with freshness, quality, and palatability, whereas darker meat often leads to consumer rejection and discounted pricing. Tenderloin muscles (psoas major) are generally darker than the longissimus dorsi muscle when exposed to air, which is attributed to intrinsic physiological and biochemical differences. High-pressure processing (HPP) emerges as a promising postharvest intervention to counteract darkening, especially in dark-cutting beef, which shares underlying mechanisms with the darkening of tenderloin. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to determine the effects of high-pressure processing, packaging types, and storage time on the color of tenderloin steaks. Fresh tenderloins (n = 8) were purchased from a commercial purveyor. Each tenderloin was randomly allocated to three equal sections and allocated to 0 (without any pressure application), 300, or 450 mega pascal (MPa) pressure for 90 seconds. After pressure application, steaks were packaged in vacuum, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) aerobic overwrap, nitrite-embedded film, and carbon monoxide modified atmospheric packaging (CO-MAP). The packaged steaks were displayed for 6 days, and the color was measured daily. Surface color was measured using a HunterLab MiniScan and was characterized using L*, a*, and b*. The data were analyzed using the Mixed Procedure of SAS and considered significant at P 0.05. There was a significant (P 0.05) effect of pressure × storage time × packaging on a*, hue, and chroma. However, only the main effect of L* values for pressure. On day 0 of retail storage in PVC, applying high pressure at 300 MPa improved redness compared with control tenderloin steaks. Nonetheless, using nitrite film and CO-MAP enhanced redness (P 0.05), with nitrite being the most effective in maintaining the color compared with PVC and vacuum package. In CO-MAP, greater pressure application increased oxidation (P 0.05) with storage time compared with non-HPP samples in CO-MAP. In conclusion, packaging is a key factor to consider when using HPP with tenderloin. The application of pressure improved redness only on the day of application, but minimized shelf-life. The use of nitrite-embedded packaging and CO-MAP improved redness and extended the color of tenderloin steaks compared with aerobic packaging.

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