A Review on the Color Problems of Fresh and Cooked Dark, Firm, and Dry (DFD) Beef and Recent Research Developments on Them

Meat color is an important indicator for consumers to choose meat products. Whether raw or cooked, dark, firm, and dry (DFD) beef has color defects. The dark purplish red color of raw DFD beef is disliked by consumers, causing downgrading of its quality and consequently economic loss. DFD beef still exhibit a pink color when overcooked, causing a decline in quality attributes such as tenderness and juiciness. In this context, this paper reviews the mechanism of color formation in raw and cooked DFD beef, and examines recent progress in the application of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), organic acid treatment, and temperature control to overcome the color problem of DFD beef. We hope that this review will provide a reference for solving this problem in the future.