Abstract: This study investigated the changes in the color and key lipid oxidation products of beef M. longissimus dorsi steaks from fattened cattle during chilled storage under high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (HiOx-MAP) under the premise of excluding the influence of microbial growth, and it analyzed the correlation between them. The results showed that the color stability of beef steaks gradually decreased, and both the metmyoglobin reducing capacity and oxygen consumption rate significantly declined with storage time. Moreover, the degree of lipid peroxidation and the types and contents of lipid peroxidation products all markedly increased. A total of 27 lipid oxidation products were identified, mainly including aldehydes such as hexanal, nonanal, heptanal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-nonenal and ketones like 3-hydroxybutanone and 2,3-octanedione. There was a strong correlation (P < 0.001) between the increase in the contents of lipid oxidation products and the decline in color stability during storage. The absolute values of the correlation coefficients between the contents of 2,3-octanedione, 1-hexanol, benzaldehyde, 3-hexen-2-one, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal and the color parameter a* were equal to or above 0.95. A model describing the relationship between the a* value and lipid oxidation products was established using stepwise regression analysis. This study provides a theoretical basis for controlling the color of raw beef.

Key words: fattened cattle beef; meat color; high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging; myoglobin; lipid oxidation products