The colour of fruit and vegetables: and the effects of processing

Abstract

The colour of foods has a great influence on their acceptability to the consumer. Foods appear coloured because the pigments they contain absorb light of some wavelengths and reflect or transmit light of others. Hence, much research has been directed towards the identification of pigments and their behaviour during processing. As a result of the complex nature of foods it is not surprising that much of our present knowledge is derived from studies on isolated pigments or model systems. The data from such studies may, however, only account for some of the changes which take place in the actual food. Colour is affected not only by the concentration of pigments but also by the physical structure of the food and the way in which light is scattered from its surface.

Citation

Adams, J.B. (1981), "The colour of fruit and vegetables: and the effects of processing", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 81 No. 2, pp. 12-14. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb058839