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Currently, there are many color measurement instruments on the Chinese market, but most are imported from abroad, with relatively few China produced instruments. However, recent growth in China color measurement has led to the development of colorimeter technology, which can measure the color of nearly every food. Food can be categorized into three categories based on their optical properties: opaque, translucent, and transparent. Different colorimeter types are therefore suitable for these different food types.
What equipment is used for food color testing?
Directional colorimeters are suitable for opaque foods such as fruit, corn, cheese, flour, tomato sauce, cheese, and meat; integrating sphere colorimeters are suitable for transparent foods such as clarified juice, beer, vegetable oil, and beverages. Colorimeters can be used to measure the surface quality of rigid objects or flexible, multi-faceted foods. For rigid physical foods such as fruit, potatoes, and beans, a colorimeter is used to measure the color of tomatoes, construct a regression equation for lycopene content, and evaluate lycopene content. For flexible, multi-faceted foods such as meat, flour, and pasta, colorimeters are used to directly measure meat color. Meat color is primarily determined by the myoglobin and hemoglobin content in the muscle. Obtaining objective quantitative indicators of meat color helps evaluate and grade raw meat and monitor its freshness.
Colorimeters are commonly used to measure the color of regular and irregular meats such as steak, pork, chicken, and tuna, and to monitor color changes during storage to ensure product quality. Colorimeters can also be used to measure the surface of pastries such as steamed buns, noodles, and bread, determining acceptable color deviations for samples and facilitating qualitative and quantitative quality control. Using a colorimeter to measure the color of liquid foods can assess food purity and determine spoilage. Although liquid foods have numerous quality indicators, these tests are primarily conducted using chemical methods, which are complex and require large amounts of organic solvents, increasing testing costs and posing a risk to testers.
Therefore, color can be used as a basis for quality assessment. For example, when heating peanut oil, a colorimeter was used to establish relationships between color parameters and chemical indicators. Comparative analysis of the colors of different bayberry juices using color difference analysis and perceptual evaluation demonstrated high consistency and quality. Colorimeters can also be used to indirectly measure certain food components, such as amylose, which serves as a primary basis for grading high-quality rice. A spectrophotometer measures the absorbance of a colorimetric solution, and the amylose content is calculated from the color value of the sample solution, achieving high accuracy.
When a spectrophotometer is used to analyze the color of a sample, the sample is typically prepared as a liquid with a uniform texture. For example, in meat quality testing, the surrounding fascia and fat are removed, minced, and a tissue extract is prepared. Spectrophotometry is then used to measure the absorbance of various channels to determine the total pigment content of the muscle under different conditions, providing a reliable theoretical basis for breed improvement and meat quality identification.
How to Measure Food Color Accurately
Constant appeal of food color and careful measurement needs accurate measurement tools that do not require guesses, which means subjective measurement of quality. This has been particularly significant in industrial food processing where minute color change could determine consumer belief and consumer confidence.
The following are the most successful methods and instruments applied in the sector.
- Colorimeters
Colorimeters are pocket size, easy to handle instruments to gauge the color of a sample with regard to its reflection or transmission of light. They give objective numerical values (which are usually in the CIE Lab* or RGB color spaces), which represent lightness, red-green value, and yellow-blue value.
- Use cases:
○ Ketchup color control in bottling plants
○ Assessing spice colors like paprika, turmeric, or chili powder
○ Verifying the colour of olive oil or brown coconut oil before packaging
- These tools are ideal for on-site, rapid assessments during production, packaging, or final inspection stages.
- Spectrophotometers
The spectrophotometers provide more sophisticated and accurate measurements. They measure the way food samples absorb light at different wavelengths. In contrast to colorimeters, a spectrophotometer produces a full spectral curve. Which means more detailed color analysis and a more accurate assumption of tiny changes.
- Ideal for:
○ R&D labs and high-precision quality control
○ Color matching across multiple product lines
○ Measuring color cereal coatings, blended sauces, or complex baked goods like color in cookies
- Software Integration
Most of the current color measurement equipment is capable of connecting to quality control (QC) software. This made it possible for the results to be logged, trends managed, and comparisons made between batches in real-time. The value of this integration especially when handling food color charts and wide production lines that have numerous product SKUs.
- Benefits include:
○ Digital archiving of color standards and test results
○ Automated alerts for deviations outside preset tolerances
○ Enhanced traceability for audits and compliance
Color Measurement in Beverages and Juices
Color is the first thing which people recognize in the beverage industry. It informs them whether a beverage is fresh, tastes nice, and is of high quality–and usually within a couple of milliseconds. Be it orange juice, pomegranate juice, a gold craft beer, the similarity of color aids brand recognition and customer satisfaction.
Why Color Matters in Drinks
- Visual expectation: Consumers associate certain colors to taste. Yellow-orange at its brightest reminds them of citruses, ruby-red for berry mixtures, and deep brown for cold brews and cola.
- Perceived freshness: Even an apple juice that has slightly oxidized and becomes faded brown may cause a negative impression. Even though the juice may be safe to consume.
Differentiating products: When a market is already saturated with products, unique and uniform color gives products a competitive advantage in retail stores and serves to remind the customer about the brand.
Threenh Make Food Color Measurement Easier
If you’re serious about accurate food color analysis, Threenh.com is the place to start. A leader in precision instruments. Be it a requirement to examine various shades of ketchup, test meat color, test cookie color or olive oil hue, Threenh.com can provide the equipment and expertise.
We offer:
- High-end colorimeters are designed specifically to do food work.
- Portable spectrophotometers that can be carried or attached to a production line.
- Professional assistance in the installation of color measurement equipment in a food company.
