TITTLE: Measurement of Colour in Foods

Date

of

experiments:30.07.2013
INTRODUCTION
Colour models are used to classify colour and to qualify them according
to such attributes as hue, saturation, chroma, lightness, or brightness.
Chromameter are used to detect colour and measure correlated color
temperature and the difference from the blackbody. There are some methods
that are used in colour measurements that are used by chromameter for
example; tristimulus value (X, Y, Z) can specify colour such as lightness (light
or dark), hue (red, orange, yellow, and green, blue, purple) and saturation
(pink-red; pastel-uorescent; baby blue deep blue).
In addition, Munsell system that was created by Munsell modeled his
system as an orb around whose equator runs a band of colors. The axis of
the orb is a scale of neutral gray values with white as the North Pole and
black as the South Pole. Extending horizontally from the axis at each gray
value is a gradation of color progressing from neutral gray to full saturation.
With these three defining aspects, any of thousands of colors could be fully
described. Munsell named these aspects, or qualities as Hue, Value, and
Chroma.
On the other hand, colour is an important quality attribute in the food
and bioprocess industries. It can affect and inuences consumers choice and
preferences. Colour measurement of food products has been used as an
indirect measure of other quality attributes such as avour and contents of
pigments because it is simpler, faster and correlates well with other
physicochemical properties. For processed foods, chromameter have been
widely used for colour management of various food products, including
beverages, snacks, dairy products, seasonings, noodles, fish paste, and jams.
In addition, chromameter are often used for consumer preference surveys or
for R&D work on processing methods.

In interpretation of colour, the value that was given from the

chromameter was used in order to interpret the colour of the food. There are
some colour spaces that are used depending on the type of the foods. A
colour space is a means of uniquely specifying a colour. The example of
colour space include, L* a* b*, Yxy, L* C* h*and XYZ. Each of the space
indicates the colour and chromaticity. For example, L* a* b* is one of the
uniform color spaces defined by CIE in 1976 in order to reduce one of the
major problems of the original Yxy space. L* indicates lightness and a* and
b* are the chromaticity coordinates. Meanwhile, the value of positive and
negative

of

the

measurement

also

play

important

role

interpretation.

OBJECTIVES
To measure the colour in foods
PROCEDURE
Assessment of colour by using Chromameter CR 300
a. Calibration ( For new equipment setting )

in

colour

CALIBRATE was pressed

The COLOUR SPACE was pressed and Yxy colour space was
selected
The channel was set to "00" by using <-- or -->
The data shown by calibration in white plate was key in according to the
light sources selected
The calibration white plate was placed in the centre and
MEASURE was pressed
The posiition of the calibration white plate was fixed at the same angle
and it was noted

b. Recalibrate
The calibration was performed again once the CR-300
was switched on
CALIBRATE was pressed
COLOUR SPACE and Yxy colour space was
pressed
channel "00" was set by using <-- / -->
The calibration white plate
MEASURE

c. Measurement
o Measure target

was
was

placed at the centre and

pressed

TARGET COLOUR SET was pressed

The target number was set and the target was
measured
ABS/DIFF was pressed to view the
absolute/differential measurement data
COLOUR SPACE SELECT was pressed to change
the measurement data condition
The calibration white plate
MEASURE

was
was

placed at the centre and

pressed

o D. Measure batch
TARGET COLOUR SELECT was pressed to find
our target

The batch sample was measured

ABS/DIFF was pressed to view absolute/differential

measurement data

o Key in data (Lab cannot be set)

TARGET COLOUR SET was pressed

COLOUR SPACE SELECT was pressed to find out the
condition
<-- /--> , number keys and +/- was used to key in data
manually
ENTER was pressed

RESULTS

Assessment of Colour by Using Chromameter CR-300

Food Samples
Mango Pudding
Gardenia
Dailys
Average

Chromameter Reading
L*
a*
48.05
-2.04
44.91
16.95
54.37
12.83
49.11
9.25

Colour Interpretation

Mango Pudding: Combination of Yellow and Green Hue

Gardenia

: Combination of Orange Yellow

b*
25.37
33.09
37.01
31.82

Dailys

: Combination of Yellow Colour and Orange

DISCUSSION
Colors serve as a code to identify certain foods. A green color usually is
associated with a lime avor, a yellow color with a lemon avor, and a black
color with a licorice avor. From the experiments, the measurement of colour
in foods was determined by using Chromameter CR-300 of three different
samples which are Mango pudding, Gardenias bread and Dailys bread. The
colour space L* a* b* was selected and the colour of the samples was
measured and the reading from the display panel was directly read. The
colour interpretation was also interpret by referring to reference colour book
by Konica Minolta.
Through the results, the measurements of colour were observed and
examined. For Mango pudding, the colour space for L* is 48.05. a* is -2.04
and b* is 25.37. In this space, L* indicates lightness and a* and b* are the
chromaticity coordinates. The L* of this pudding show slightly darkness as
the value of L* is not too high. In addition, the negative value for a* show the

green direction. Meanwhile, b* show positive which are in yellow direction.

Hence,

results

in

combination

of

yellow

and

green

hue

of

colour

interpretation.
Moreover, the colour space measurement for Gardenias bread results
in L* 44.91, a* 16.95 and b* 33.09. The L* also show not too high and too low
value of lightness. It show dark colour but not too dark. In addition, positive
value of a* space shows that the colour are more to red direction. Besides
that, the positive value of b* indicate to yellow direction. As the reading
shows the positive value of colour interpretation hence the intercept reading
from the book was measured. Thus, the interpretation of the Gardenias
bread shows that combination of orange and yellow is present.

On the other hand, the colour space that was measured for Dailys
bread show that for L* a* b* results in 54.37, 12.83 and 37.01 respectively.
The value of L* show some darkness that are present in Dailys bread.
Meanwhile, the result for both a* and b* show positive value where the
combination of yellow and orange colour is present. Different from
Gardenias bread where the L* value is slightly lower than Gardenias bread.
This is maybe because the surface colour (crust) for Gardenia shows less
dark than Dailys bread which results in darker colour as Dailys bread may
undergo longer heat treatment of long production time which cause the
desired browning of bread is occurred.
Through the experiments, there are some precautions steps that need
to be taken in order to obtain a proper result without any sources of error. For

example, the chromameter should calibrate first to avoid any interruption in

measurement. The reading was also need to be taken in even surfaces as it
also can interrupt the result. In contrast, three consecutive of samples
reading need to be carried out to eliminate the errors of the handlers besides
make sure the instrument is calibrated properly and the right techniques are
used to determine the analysis.

STUDY QUESTIONS
1. From the experiments, what are the three characteristics of colour?
Three characteristics of colour in these experiments are hue which is the
name of the colour, value that indicates the lightness or darkness of colour
and intensity which is dullness or brightness of colour.
2. State an example of a colour instrument that uses objective colour
evaluation.
An example of colour instrument that uses objective colour evaluation is
spectrophotometer.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the chromameter reading for mango pudding for L* a*
and b* are 48.05, -2.04 and 25.37 respectively. Hence the colour
interpretation for Mango pudding results in combination of yellow and orange
hue.

In addition, assessment of colour for Gardenias bread shows 44.91,

16.95 and 33.09 respectively. Thus, the combination of orange and yellow
can be interpreted from the value. Last but not least, the chromameter
readings for Dailys bread show that L* a* and b* are 54.37, 12.83 and 37.01

respectively. Hence, the colour interpretation for Dailys bread results in

combination of yellow colour and orange.

REFERENCES
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from

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from