Interpretation of the color due to the ubiquitous nonenzymatic browning phenomena in foods

Abstract

bstract Many foods are subject to browning by heat treatment or long storage times. Either if it is a sign of quality decrease or a desirable feature, it is necessary to characterize fully the color of what is perceived as “brown.” In this paper, we define three stages of browning in foods, ranging from yellow, reddish‐brown to dark brown, showing that the commonly employed indexes are not sufficient to describe the later stages of browning, corresponding to the darker colors. Frequently absorbance at a single wavelength, two‐dimensional (2D) diagrams, browning index depending on one chromatic coordinate or just L* are employed to describe color in the browning processes in food systems. While these tools are adequate enough to define the evolution of the reaction, they fail to properly characterize the brown color quality: they evaluate either lightness (1D) or the chromatic aspects (2D). In this work, we fully characterized browning in 3D color spaces. The limits for the appropriate use of the different indexes were also defined, according to the browning stage.

Revaluing Anion Effects on Maillard Reaction Catalysis as a Relevant Feature for Kinetic Predictions

“…As shown in Figure , all systems followed the same chromatic displacement in the yellow/red quadrant, independently of the anion type, although at different rates. In agreement with Pepa et al, chromatic evolution of the MR in these systems evolved through increasing the yellow component (higher b * positive values) in the early stages. Later, b * values continued to increase (yellow hues) and a shift of the a * values toward positive values (more reddish hues) was observed.…”

“…Calculations were performed considering illuminant C and an observer angle of 2°. These values were then converted to the uniform color CIELAB space, which is an international space for color measurements, adopted by the CIE in 1976. L * is the lightness component, which ranges from 0, for black or totally opaque systems, to 100, for white achromatic samples.…”

Mixed-Mode Solar Drying and its Effect on Physicochemical and Colorimetric Properties of Zompantle (Erythrina Americana)

“…Ferouali [ 24 ] reported a decrease in color parameters ( L , a , and b ) by using indirect solar drying at 40, 50, and 60 °C in Punica granatum flower; the best preservation of color was at 40 °C. During the heating, the samples can develop degradation of pigments; firstly, a slightly yellow color is observed; then, the sample turns red, and if the sample contains high total soluble solids, a brown color can be observed [ 25 ]. The Hue angle measures the property of the color, and it is expressed in degrees.…”

Effect of convective drying on color, water activity, and browning index of peach slices

“…The browning index is determined in sugar-containing foods and relates to the purity of the brown color. According to Pepa et al (2021), during the heating time, the samples increased a scarcely yellow color, then the samples turned red, and finally, a brown color was observed. The initial browning index of peach slices was 104.5 (Table 2); however, this value increased from a minimum of 109.43 to a maximum of 188.3.…”