Guide To Measuring Peanut Butter Color

We all expect certain colors from certain foods. Ripe tomatoes are red, broccoli is green, and peanut butter is brown. Peanut Butter comes in a variety of textures, but it’s almost always the same shade of brown. This is because color makes up an essential aspect of the standard the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grades peanut butter on. The USDA grading is based on having a good color, consistency, flavor and aroma. From those criteria only color can really be quantified and measured scientifically.

One company of peanut farmers, Sunland, Inc., specializes in legumes such as peanuts and processes them in different ways, including peanut butter. For color quality control, they turn to Konica Minolta Sensing Americas. Previously, they had to rely on visual inspections from the USDA, which didn’t serve as an objective form of measurement. The quality control supervisor at Sunland, Inc., Samantha Rector, said,

“We learned of a new and more reliable method that had been developed by Konica Minolta to speed up the color evaluation process on peanut butter while at the same time making the process more consistent and less subjective.”

In our Case Study, “The Color of Peanut Butter” Sunland, Inc. uses the CR-400 and CR-410 Chroma Meter to assist their measurements. No matter which stage of the process the peanuts are in, they can now quickly evaluate their color and no longer need special viewing conditions to accurately analyze them. Employees fill petri dishes with peanut butter and put them on top of the Konica Minolta Sensing instrument for measurements. The CR-410 PB shows its results in a single number, which match up with the USDA Grades A, B or sub-standard. A report can then be printed for each batch. Rector went on to say,

“The Konica Minolta CR-410 Colorimeter has definitely saved us a lot of time and cost by eliminating trial and error and increased our productivity too.”

The CR-410 PB works by using rgb color filters and light reflectance. The instrument has a light source which is reflected back through the color filters. This is translated into a color signature.

The device is precise and reliable as well as being portable and easy to use. The portability gives flexibility of use throughout the production process. It’s an affordable way of increasing quality and driving efficiency for your business.

So, to make sure your company’s peanut butter or other foods meet color quality standards, trust Konica Minolta Sensing. We’ll analyze your application and give you the instrument most appropriate to your work. Contact us today.