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Color and Meat Freshness in Grocery Store Display Cases

Impulse buying accounts for over a third of all meat purchases from self service meat cases according to one study, and this in turn is related to the visual appeal of the meat. Several studies have found that the most appealing cuts of meat are those that are the leanest, and then those that are the brightest in color, which customers interpret as an indicator of freshness.

One study found that over 40% of interviewees judged the freshness of meat by its color. Various surveys have shown that consumers in Colorado considered the color of the muscle and fat to be the most important indictor of quality, while in Missouri consumers interpreted the color of the lean tissue as an indicator of freshness or age. If the meat does not appear to be fresh, customers will not buy it.

For meat science references and excerpts click here.

Promolux True Color Definition Lamps

Promolux meat display case lighting is balanced for true color definition, revealing the bright red of blooming beef muscle without compromising the white of the fat marbling. The yellow and green wavelengths that are predominant in regular fluorescent lighting are the most damaging wavelengths in the visible spectrum. Promolux lamps emit a more balanced range of wavelengths, including more of the red and blue wavelengths and more moderate levels of the yellow and green wavelengths.