How to Measure BBQ Sauce Color

The color measurement of barbecue sauce is a professional and practical topic with important applications in food safety and quality control. The color of barbecue sauce directly affects consumers' perception of product quality and taste. The color of barbecue sauce is usually warm reddish brown, dark brown or caramel-like , which not only reminds people of the authentic barbecue experience, but also enhances the visual appeal of the product.

Different brands or recipes of barbecue sauce may have different tones due to different ingredients such as sugar, tomatoes, vinegar and spices. The more common color characteristics are as follows:

Reddish brown: Mainly produced by the reaction between tomatoes and sugar, it has a bright color.

Dark brown: The use of higher sugar content and the addition of fermented ingredients such as soy sauce result in a stronger color.

Orange-red: Mainly formed by chili peppers and other spices, the color is brighter.

With accurate color measurement, companies can ensure that different batches of products have consistent color, thereby improving brand image and reducing customer complaints due to color deviations. This technology is attractive to food manufacturers, catering industries and retailers.

Color Measurement Using 3nh Spectrophotometer

3nh YS4560 Plus 45/0 Grating Spectrophotometer

Why is the YS4560 suitable for measuring barbecue sauce?

As an opaque sauce, the color of barbecue sauce cannot be measured by transmitted light (light passing through the sample), but needs to be determined by reflected light (light reflected from the surface). The YS4560 Plus spectrometer adopts a 45/0 geometric optical structure (45-degree annular illumination, 0-degree reception), which is particularly suitable for measuring the surface reflected light of opaque materials. It complies with the CIE No. 15 standard and can accurately measure the reflectance and various colorimetric data of the sample through concave grating spectroscopic technology, which is very suitable for opaque samples such as barbecue sauce.

How to measure barbecue sauce color with YS4560 ?

The color of barbecue sauce is usually measured by analyzing reflected light to obtain Lab* values, which is an internationally accepted color representation method:

L* value: Indicates lightness, reflecting the depth of the sauce (0 is pure black, 100 is pure white).

a* value: reflects the red and green hue, positive values indicate a reddish color and negative values indicate a greenish color.

b* value: reflects the yellow-blue tone, positive values indicate yellowish color and negative values indicate bluish color.

For barbecue sauce, the combination of a (red) and b (yellow) values is particularly critical because they together determine the brown hue of the sauce.

Since barbecue sauce is a thick liquid, direct measurement requires placing it in a suitable container, such as:

Sample cup or Petri dish to keep the surface flat for instrument measurement.

YS4560 Plus is equipped with dual measuring apertures of Φ8mm and Φ4mm. The appropriate aperture can be selected according to the sample area to ensure the representativeness of the measurement area.

The specific steps are as follows:

1. Pour the barbecue sauce into a sample cup or dish, making sure the surface is smooth and free of bubbles.

2. The instrument is placed above the sample and the reflected light is measured using a 45/0 configuration.

3. The reflectance data is recorded by the instrument and converted into standard color parameters (such as Lab* values) for quality control or color matching.

Other application scenarios

The YS4560 Plus is also equipped with an independent UV light source for measuring fluorescent samples.

This instrument is not only suitable for barbecue sauce, but also widely used in many industries such as traffic signs and food production. Its high precision and versatility ensure color consistency in barbecue sauce production, helping to achieve quality control and product standardization.

In conclusion

The YS4560 Plus spectrometer is fully capable of measuring opaque sauces such as barbecue sauce. Its 45/0 optical structure and dual measurement aperture design make it excellent in measuring opaque, viscous liquid samples. Simply put the barbecue sauce in a suitable container and its color can be accurately measured by reflected light to meet your needs.