The protein in meat that is primarily responsible for meat color is ______________.

Myoglobin is the protein primarily responsible for the color of meat. It is a heme-containing protein found in the muscle tissues of animals and functions to store oxygen for use during muscle contraction. The presence of myoglobin in varying concentrations contributes significantly to the color of different types of meat. For example, red meat, such as beef, contains a higher concentration of myoglobin, resulting in its characteristic red color.

When meat is exposed to oxygen, myoglobin can oxidize to form metmyoglobin, which gives the meat a brownish color. Additionally, the way meat is handled, aged, and cooked can influence the state of myoglobin, impacting its color further. Thus, understanding myoglobin’s role in meat coloration is essential in food science, particularly in the context of meat quality evaluation and consumer preferences.

While myosin and actin are prominent proteins involved in muscle contraction, they do not contribute to the coloration of the meat. Hemoglobin, on the other hand, is a protein found in blood that carries oxygen, and its influence is mainly relevant to the color of blood rather than the color of muscle tissue itself.