A novel method to stabilize meat colour: ligand coordinating with hemin.

Carbon monoxide (CO), L-cysteine and L-histidine were tested to coordinate with hemin chloride (pigment containing haem iron). In the presence of sodium dithionite, both CO and L-cysteine could react with hemin to afford respectively the corresponding complexes: CO-hemin and L-cysteine hemin; while L-histidine could not react with hemin. Both CO-hemin and L-cysteine hemin could decompose and release the corresponding ligand to generate hemin. Both light and temperature had an obvious effect on stabilization of these complexes. By sensory evaluation, both CO-hemin and L-cysteine hemin have bright red colour and show a potential as cured cooked-meat pigments (CCMP) in the manufacture of meat product.