Discoloration in raw and processed foods CCFRA Review No. 54 (2007)

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A review and discussion of the many types of discoloration that can affect foods, and the chemical and biochemical mechanisms that cause them.

Food discolorations that bear little resemblance to the expected colour of the food have a major impact on saleable quality. However, the reactions leading to discoloration are often only partly comprehended, or are inferred from other evidence. This is due to their inherent complexity, to the variability in raw material, and to the practical difficulties in isolating and characterising newly-formed pigments. In this review, specific examples of food discolorations and the factors contributing to their occurrence are described. The chemical and biochemical causes of food discolorations are assessed where there is sufficient evidence.

The review deals, in turn, with black, brown, red, yellow, green, and white discolorations. For each discoloration, raw and processed foods are considered separately, and discussions are presented on fruits, vegetables, cereals, meats, fish, and dairy products. The text is supplemented by an extensive list of references which enable the reader to follow up specific discolorations of interest.

The review demonstrates that many discolorations are understood in broad detail and that this has enabled control methods to be implemented. Discolorations associated with microbial infections are, however, poorly comprehended at present and control methods require significant development. It is concluded that further research is needed in many cases to obtain a more complete understanding of the effects of raw material properties, of the effects of processing and storage conditions, and of the causes of discoloration following microbial growth. These studies would be expected to lead to the development of more efficient methods of controlling food discoloration based on the inhibition of key reaction pathways.

Contents

• Introduction
  
  
• Grey/black discolorations
• greying/blackening in raw materials
• greying/blackening in cooked/processed products
  
  
• Brown discolorations
• enzymatic browning of raw materials
• non-enzymatic browning
  
  
• Red discolorations
  
  
• Yellow discolorations
  
  
• Green discolorations
  
  
• White discolorations
  
  
• Conclusions
  
  
• References
  
  

Softcover - 55 pages

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