Table 1.

Instrumental color attributes of ovine M. longissimus lumborum (LL) and M. psoas major (PM) muscles at 1, 3, and 5 days of postmortem storage (4 °C).

Attribute	Muscle		Storage Time (Day)		SEM
		1	3	5
L*	LL	44.25 ax	43.61 ax	37.83 by	0.403
	PM	44.81 bx	46.75 ax	44.70 bx	0.472
a*	LL	21.41 ax	17.20 bx	13.62 cx	0.35
	PM	16.96 ay	12.98 by	10.59 cy	0.306
b*	LL	15.57 ay	15.02 ax	12.72 by	0.262
	PM	17.33 ax	15.88 bx	13.28 cx	0.261
C*	LL	26.47 ax	22.83 bx	18.64 cx	0.423
	PM	24.25 ay	20.51 by	16.99 cy	0.374
h°	LL	36.03 cy	41.12 by	43.06 ay	0.322
	PM	45.62 bx	50.74 ax	51.43 ax	0.372
MRA	LL	0.210 ax	0.145 bx	0.067 cx	0.003
	PM	0.170 ay	0.121 by	0.041 cy	0.004

Means in rows with different superscripts (a–c) are different (p < 0.05) and means in column for LL and PM for each storage time and attribute with different superscripts (x–z) are different (p < 0.05). (a) SEM, standard error of the mean. (b) C* (Chroma) = (a*² + b*²)^0.5. (c) h° (Hue angle) = ATAN(b*/a*) × (180/π).