Metabolomics of meat color: Practical implications

Meat is biochemically active, and the various pre-and post-harvest processes can affect meat quality. Metabolomics is a valuable tool to elucidate metabolite changes in meat. The overall goal of this study was to provide an overview of various techniques, data analysis, and application of metabolomics in meat color research. Both targeted and non-targeted approaches have been used to determine metabolite profiles in meat. Researchers use gas-, liquid-chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance platforms to separate molecules. Metabolomics is used to characterize muscle-specific differences in color stability, meat tenderness, the impact of aging on meat color, and to determine metabolite profile differences between normal-pH and dark-cutting beef. Color stable muscles have more glycolytic metabolites than color labile muscles. The use of metabolomics has greatly enhanced our understanding of metabolites' role in meat quality. There are challenges in data analysis; thus, there is a need for multiple platforms in order to obtain comprehensive metabolite libraries specific to food. Metabolomics in combination with wet-laboratory techniques can provide novel insights on the relationship between postmortem metabolism and meat color.