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.