Color in Food

Book excerpt: Controlling, measuring, and "designing" the color of food are critical concerns in the food industry, as the appeal of food is chiefly determined visually, with color the most salient visual aspect. In 2010 at the International Color Association Interim Meeting held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, a multidisciplinary panel of food experts gathered to discuss the importance of color in food from perspectives ranging from chemistry to psychology to engineering. Select individuals from this elite symposium were invited to expand upon their presentations for publication in Color in Food: Technological and Psychophysical Aspects. The thematic scope of this volume comprises issues related to color research and application in various stages of food production, processing, marketing, purchasing, and consumption. Some of the questions raised in this thought-provoking volume include: What is the color of a glass of wine? What colors work best for "light" or diet products? Is the color measured in food the color we actually see? How does blueberry color change during storage? How are consumers motivated to buy bottled water based on packaging? What are the psychological effects of tablecloths and tray color on diners? Examining the latest developments in color research and application in relation to food science and technology, the book’s multidisciplinary approach makes it a critical resource for food technologists, color researchers, manufacturers of color measurement devices, and chemists and physicists working in the food industry.