Q:

What gives a slice of ham an iridescent sheen? Is this a sign of food spoilage bacteria?


 A:

The glistening, greenish, rainbowlike color that appears from a cut surface of a ham slice is a sign of oxidation and not necessarily spoilage. When the meat is exposed to oxygen or light, some of the nitrate-modified iron content of the meat undergoes a chemical change that alters the ham's pigmentation.


 

Source: Excerpted from FDA/CFSAN Food Safety A to Z Reference Guide, September 2001
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