DDC Technology Day | Application of Colorimeters in Quality Control for Feed Flavoring Products

Abstract: A colorimeter is an instrument used to quantify color phenomena and establish color standards. By employing a colorimeter for color quality control in products, it becomes one of the effective tools for further enhancing product aesthetics. Colorimeters are widely applied across various industrial sectors, including textile printing and dyeing, coatings, and leather manufacturing—where accurate measurement of both color and color differences plays a critical role. , It is one of the important indicators of product quality for printing and dyeing enterprises. The International Commission on Illumination has released “CIE1976L*a*b* Uniform Color Space ” It has extensive applications in color matching for surface pigments in industries such as coatings, building materials, and paints, and is also known as CIELAB Uniform color space. Among them L* For lightness coordinates, which represent the brightness of a color; a*b* These are chromaticity coordinates, representing the hue and saturation of a color.

Keywords: Color difference meter, feed flavoring agent, quality control

Currently, feed flavoring agents are increasingly recognized for their ability to enhance feed intake. However, it is important to note the volatility of aromatic compounds—essentially, the stability of these flavoring additives. ^[1] For evaluating the quality of feed flavorings, commonly used methods in factories include sensory comparison with controls, as well as simulation or production testing approaches. ^[2] Currently, when purchasing feed flavorings, people typically smell the product and examine its appearance. The appearance is mainly assessed based on several quality control indicators, such as color and particle size. To evaluate color, producers often compare the samples against standard references under appropriate lighting conditions. However, this subjective assessment process can be influenced by the analyst's personal biases, leading to potential missed or incorrect detections. ^[1] Assessing color differences based on visual inspection is heavily influenced by subjective factors and other variables. , Moreover, it easily leads to disagreements and disputes between manufacturers and customers. Instrument-based measurement is a widely popular method in today’s world. Currently, the international market—particularly the U.S. and European markets—primarily relies on instruments to objectively assess color and color differences. , By quantifying color differences.

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