Meat color The effects of chilling methods on meat color are presented in Table 1. The L* values increased consistently from 45-min to 24-h postmortem in all pork muscles. According to the average values for lightness, the color of all investigated LD muscles represented normal quality meat (reddish-pink color: L*= 43 to 50 (Joo and others 1999), except for the meat from the SC carcasses. The highest numerical average L* value (lightest color) was found in SC muscles (L*= 51.19), while RC and CC muscles at 24-h postmortem were visible darker (L*= 43.54 and L*= 45.92, respectively). Josell and others (2004) found no effect of RC on the color (L* value) of pork SM; however, our result shows that RC improved (P < 0.05) LD muscle color. The lower L* value of the rapidly chilled meat is typically associated with a high ultimate pH value (Lawrie 1998). Furthermore, no significant difference was found among 3 treatments (P > 0.05) for a* value. CIE a* values were almost identical in all 3 groups of LD muscles at any given measuring time. The highest average b* value was found in meat from the SC group (P < 0.05), while no significant difference existed between RC and CC groups (P > 0.05).