Colour retention in fresh meat stored in oxygen—a commercial scale trial

Summary Aged fresh beef was conventionally packaged at a central cutting plant and transported in oxygen filled containers to a retail outlet where it was compared in a refrigerated display cabinet with similar meat held in air. Colour deterioration during transport and storage was successfully delayed by holding in oxygen and the process was most effective in muscles prone to rapid discolouration. Even a small rise in temperature accelerated discolouration so that good refrigeration during display was still essential.