Color is an important property of foods that adds to enjoyment of eating. Of the three sensory properties of foods; food scientists tell that color is more important than flavor and texture in the initial food selection process.
On study showed that when jellies were colored in an atypical manner, the fruit flavors were incorrectly identified. It appears that color references for foods are the result of experience, culture and conditioning.
In addition, the colors of food contribute significantly to people to enjoy their meals. For this reason it is desirable to maintain as much of the natural color of fresh and processed foods as possible.
The food processer makes every effort to retain good color characteristics of his/her food products because he or she understands the importance of this property in promoting his/her sales.
Color variations in foods throughout the seasons and the effect of food processing and storage often require that manufacturers add color to certain foods to meet consumer expectations. The general principles for the application of colors to products are described with the overall aim of matching what the consumer expects from the particular food product.
Account must be taken of the effects of pH and processing, especially browning from the Maillard reaction and loss of initial color.
The influence of color on food acceptance
