Author:
Dutta Kakoli,Nath Rosalin
Abstract
The acceptance of any food product be it raw, cooked or processed is first evaluated by its color, flavor and texture. Human visual perception cannot accurately measure a particular color intensity, it may vary due to various factors. Though visual color standards and assessment are used in food industries but with the recent advancement of technology the quality assessment procedure is shifting towards colorimetric analysis. Colorimetry is the technology used for color measurement. There are various techniques and color models used in colorimetry while in the food sector the CIE LAB and RGB color model is mainly used as it is the closest to the mechanism of a human eye. Color measurement is a complex subject and the consumer acceptability of a food product, post-harvest management and market statistics depends on it. This chapter provides a brief discussion about the type of colorants, importance of color in the food industry, different color scales used in colorimetry and the various applications.