A novel and enhanced approach for the assessment of the total carotenoid content of foods based on multipoint spectroscopic measurements.

We have devised a more sensible approach to estimate the carotenoid content of orange juices, which can be regarded as a model system of food with intricate carotenoid pattern. For this purpose spectroscopic information at several wavelengths and spectra of the juices and not from their carotenoid extracts were considered, such that more accurate and rapid quantitative assessments can be achieved. The wavelengths proposed on the basis of the characteristic vector method were 420, 455, 515, 545 and 610nm or 420, 445, 510, 545 and 605nm, depending on the measurement conditions.

Use of three tristimulus values from surface reflectance spectra to calculate the principal components for reconstructing these spectra by using only three eigenvectors.

The division of Color Space into ten zones, corresponding to the ten Munsell hues, allows a good reconstruction of surface reflectance spectra using just three eigenvectors, obtained by applying principal components analysis to the reflectance spectra of the Munsell Atlas specimens (model group), although the basis vectors obtained are different for each subspace. The use of the tristimulus values from each measured spectrum, calculated with the Illuminant D65 and the Standard Observer CIE64 to obtain the principal components necessary to reconstruct the spectrum, allows a very high degree of metamerism to be attained between the two spectra (measured and reconstructed). Furthermore, this method of calculating the principal components allows reconstruction of the spectra of specimens from other sample sets that differ from the model group used in the PCA.

Beef colour evolution as a function of ultimate pH.

Colour in CIELAB space was assessed in 31 yearling entire male cattle from their reflectance spectra (400-700 nm) at six different times (0 min, 15 min, 5 h, 48 h, 6 days and 9 days). Cluster analysis applied to all the colour co-ordinates divided the samples into two groups according to their ultimate pH (pHu): pH<6.1 and pH⩾6.

The influence of final conditions on meat colour in light lamb carcasses.

Tristimulus values (X, Y, Z) and CIELAB colourimetric coordinates have been measured in m. Longissimus dorsi and m. Triceps braquialis caput longum muscles in 86 light carcasses of lambs from different origins.

Color measurement of rosemary honey in the solid state by reflectance spectroscopy with black background.

A colorimetric method was developed to measure the color of rosemary honeys in the solid state, without liquefaction. The color of 20 solid samples of rosemary honeys was measured by reflectance spectroscopy with white and black background in cells of 1 cm pathlength. The Kulbelka-Munk theory of turbid media was applied to calculate the spectral distribution of reflectivity, internal transmittance, and coefficients of absorbance and scattering of light.