Natural red pigments and foods and food materials containing the pigments

Abstract

The present inventors found that a natural red pigment can be obtained from hemoglobin and myoglobin whose metalloporphyrin moiety is zinc protoporphyrin, and made meat products, whale meat products, fish meat products and fish paste products that were colored with the natural red pigment. Consequently, it was possible to obtain food products stable to oxidation and exhibiting an excellent color tone without the need to use a color fixative, e.g. nitrite.

1 . A natural red pigment consisting essentially of hemoglobin and myoglobin whose metalloporphyrin moiety is zinc protoporphyrin IX complex.  
     
     
         2 . Food products and food materials that are colored with the natural red pigment of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         3 . Meat products, whale meat products, fish meat products and fish paste products that are characterized in that hemoglobin and myoglobin existing in raw meat materials of said products convert to the natural red pigment of  claim 1.