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Food and Beverages Industry Solutions

In the food and beverage industry, color and appearance are key ingredients to a product’s success. When its color is off or is different than what consumers expect, their minds tell them that it tastes different too.

From raw material to final product, Konica Minolta Sensing Americas offers instrument and software solutions used to effectively control the color quality and consistency of food and beverages. This high-precision technology allows users to accurately evaluate the color attributes of various samples, including solids, liquids, powders, pastes, and granules, and identify any inconsistencies immediately in a more efficient and streamlined process. In addition to meeting color quality standards and consumer expectations, waste is reduced and profits are increased.

Solutions include Hyperspectral Imaging which can analyze food products in real time enabling large volumes of food to be monitored. Hyperspectral imaging allows for the content and compositions of food to be analyzed as well as the color. For example, you can see the fat content of your steak not just the color!

Key Uses for Color Measurement in Food Industry:

Grains/cereals
Baked goods (breads, crackers, cookies)
Sauces and condiments
Meats and cheeses
Beverages and spirits (wines/liquors)
Coffee (raw beans and roasted)
Fruits and vegetables

Recommended Food Color Measurement Instruments

The following products are our most recommended for food and beverage measurement, our specialist team can help to advise you on which product is best suited for your needs:

CM-5 Spectrophotometer

An advanced all-in-one system, the CM-5 Spectrophotometer is a bench-top measurement instrument designed to evaluate the color and appearance of opaque, transparent, and translucent samples.

CR-400 Chroma Meter

The CR-400 Chroma Meter is a handheld, portable measurement instrument designed to evaluate the color of objects, particularly with smoother surface conditions or minimal color variation.

BC-10 Plus Baking Contrast Meter

The BC-10 Plus is a handheld, portable colorimeter designed to evaluate the color of baked, fried, smoked and processed foods as well as ingredients in various environments to ensure consistency in appearance.

CM-17d Spectrophotometer

The CM-17d is a vertical portable spectrophotometer designed to be simple to configure and use. It has an electronic viewfinder for easy positioning and is excellent for measuring small samples and curved surfaces. It is ergonomically designed to be easy to grip and is designed to be used in various measurement scenarios, including one-handed work.

Specim FX10

FX10 is an out-of-the-box hyperspectral imaging camera designed for industrial and laboratory use.

Specim FX17

High sensitivity and detection accuracy beyond the capability of any other inspection method makes the FX17 hyperspectral imaging camera an industry stand-out.

Coffee Measurement

Did you know that you can measure the quality of a coffee roast by it’s color? We have some great coffee blogs including maximizing coffee quality with colorimetry or how do you measure coffee bean color? Find out more about how you can measure the color of coffee and other coffee facts in our guide:

Click Here to View the Coffee Measurement Brochure.

Measuring Baked Goods

Our BC-10 Plus controls the color of baked, fried, smoked and processed foods. Find out more in our handy guide:

Click Here to View the Baking Contrast Meter Brochure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What instrument is used to measure food color?

Colorimeters are the most popular instrument to measure color in food. Colorimetry is a technique that quantifies color by measuring the color of three primary color components of light seen by the human eye, specifically red, green, and blue (also referred to as Red, Green, Blue, or RGB). This “tri-stimulus” color measurement provides data on the amount of the three components present in the light reflected (solids) or transmitted (typically liquids) by a food product. This data can be used, for example, to adjust the color components of prepared foods or beverages to improve the recipe by eye; also, to measure “cooking” in a baked product; and, in fresh foods, to determine factors such as ripening and deterioration in relation to transportation, storage, preservation, flavor, and spoilage. Although there is no strict limit to where the benefits of colorimeters are in finished foods, it should be recognized that they measure color almost as effectively as the human eye.

Although colorimeters are popular for measuring color in food, if higher accuracy is required you might want to look to using a spectrophotometer in your process. Spectrophotometers measure the spectral reflectance or transmittance of an object across the entire spectrum of human-visible light wavelengths, from 400 nm to 700 nm (nanometers), allowing for precise specification of any desired color. Spectrophotometers offer greater specificity, making them the instruments of choice for color formulation in food products, establishing standards and tolerances, communicating color between manufacturing plants, and controlling color quality in operational processes. Spectrophotometers have been increasingly adopted in the food industry for color standardization and quality control inspection of ingredients before use, for final product color specification (particularly in jams, jellies, preserves, beverages, etc.), in the research and development of new food and beverage products, and in food selection and improving food selection techniques for factors ranging from natural fat content to the quality category of meat, poultry, and fish.

How to choose the right Food Color measurement instrument?

Depending on the final product you are trying to measure, it is best to use a colorimeter or a spectrophotometer. Colorimeters are sophisticated color measuring instruments that perform “tristimulus” measurements based on the passage of light through three primary filters—red, green, and blue—which simulate the human eye’s sensitivity to light. Tristimulus color measurements provide information about the amount of these three components present in the light reflected or transmitted by a product. This information can be transmitted to adjust the color components. Colorimeters can easily determine

colorimetric values under a simple illuminant and are primarily used for reflectance measurements. However, a colorimeter is not suitable for complex color analyses such as metamerism and color strength.

Spectrophotometers are the most accurate and sophisticated color measurement instruments available for color quality control and color formulation. They are available as benchtop spectrophotometers for laboratory quality control and research, or as portable spectrophotometers for factory or field work. Spectrophotometers perform color measurements across the entire spectrum. They measure the total reflectance or transmittance of an object across the full spectrum of visible wavelengths, from 400 mm to 700 mm. The high accuracy of these instruments makes them the instruments of choice for color formulation, standards and tolerance specification, supply chain communications, and color quality control.

Can a colorimeter be used for solids?

Yes. If you intend to measure opaque or solid foods such as coffee, meats, vegetables, or fruits (among others), a colorimeter is the appropriate instrument.

What is the use of a spectrophotometer in food analysis?

Spectrophotometers have been increasingly adopted in the food industry for color standardization and quality control inspection of the ingredients before use. They are also used for final product specification, research and development of new food and beverage products, and in food selection and improving food selection techniques. If you intend to measure translucent or transparent foods, it is best to use a spectrophotometer