The blue-red color of fresh tuna is predominantly due to its high concentration

Question

The blue-red color of fresh tuna is predominantly due to its high concentration of myoglobin. When it ages it turns a dull grey. Less than scrupulous, fish mongers who want the tuna to look fresher than it actually is have been known to expose their tuna steaks to carbon monoxide. What do you suppose this accomplishes, and by what mechanism? The blue-red color of fresh tuna is predominantly due to its high concentration of myoglobin. When it ages it turns a dull grey. Less than scrupulous, fish mongers who want the tuna to look fresher than it actually is have been known to expose their tuna steaks to carbon monoxide. What do you suppose this accomplishes, and by what mechanism? The blue-red color of fresh tuna is predominantly due to its high concentration of myoglobin. When it ages it turns a dull grey. Less than scrupulous, fish mongers who want the tuna to look fresher than it actually is have been known to expose their tuna steaks to carbon monoxide. What do you suppose this accomplishes, and by what mechanism?

Explanation / Answer

Fresh tuna has bright red colour which is because of oxymyoglobin where oxygen reacts with myoglobin. The oxygen supply is completely arrested once it is dead. Then oxidation process results in brown or dull grey color. When Carbon monoxide is supplied, it binds with myoglobin to give bright red color. Binding of Carbon monoxide with myoglobin prevents the oxidation process.

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