Abstract: Color is the most important factor influencing consumers’ willingness to buy fresh meat. In the past forty years, while many researchers have reviewed the factors influencing meat color and its stability, the effects of mitochondria on meat color and its stability have been rarely mentioned in the literature. Mitochondria are very important for myoglobin redox state, and alter meat color and its stability mainly by affecting oxygen consumption and myoglobin reduction. Therefore, the factors influencing mitochondrial structure and function can also affect meat color. This paper reviews the previous research on the association of mitochondria with meat color and its stability. Especially, we summarize the direct mitochondrial effects on meat color and color stability, as well as the factors influencing meat color via mitochondria. Finally, the underlying mechanisms are elucidated.

Key words: meat color, myoglobin, mitochondria, lipid oxidation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, metabolic intermediates