Ranjith Ramanathan

Author of "Strategies to Limit Meat Wastage: Focus on Meat Discoloration"

January 10, 2022

Ranjith Ramanathan is an Associate Professor of food science in the Ferguson College of Agriculture. Ranjith’s research focus on both fundamental and applied factors that influence fresh meat quality; more specifically on the meat color and minimizing meat waste.

Limiting meat waste is a significant factor that can help meet future needs to provide high-quality animal protein while maximizing the utilization of natural resources. Fresh meat waste occurs during production, processing, distribution and marketing to various points of consumption. Consumers' expectation for muscle food quality is often associated with its appearance, and a bright-red color of red meat is an indicator of freshness and wholesomeness. Meat discoloration is a natural process resulting from interactions between the physical structure of meat and the oxidation of the ferrous forms of myoglobin. Understanding the biochemical processes that influence discoloration such as oxygen consumption, metmyoglobin reducing activity, lipid oxidation and microbial growth help to develop innovative strategies to limit meat waste. The focus of this chapter is to discuss the factors involved in meat discoloration and any other color deviations that may lead to discounted pricing and/or meat loss. The impact of meat waste, economic loss, the role of packaging and the application of high-throughput techniques to understand the biochemical basis of meat discoloration are also discussed.

URL: https://library-dep.okstate.edu/news/celebratingbooks/2022-honorees/ranjith-ramanathan

Last Updated: 7 February 2022