When high pH beef, often referred to as dark cutting beef, is subjected to high-pressure processing (HPP), the color and overall appearance significantly improve. Normally, high pH beef exhibits a darker, less appealing color, which can affect its market value due to consumer preferences for a brighter, cherry-red hue in fresh beef. By applying HPP, specifically at lower pressures around 300 megapascals, the meat can retain a more desirable reddish color without appearing cooked. This treatment also helps in maintaining the meat's natural texture and quality, making it more visually appealing and potentially increasing its marketability. Dr. Gary Sullivan notes, "When we get to that 300 megapascals, it really lightens the color some. We get a nice reddish color but we're not getting the cooked color, and so it makes that dark cutting steak, which people don't like and has discounts associated with it, look almost like a normal steak" (07:20). Thus, HPP offers a promising solution to enhance both the visual and qualitative attributes of high pH beef.
