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A Preliminary Color Study of Different Basil-Based Semi-Finished Products during Their Storage.
Federica Turrini1, Emanuele Farinini1, Riccardo Leardi1
1Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Cembrano 4, 16148 Genoa, Italy.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 12, 2022
Summary
Blast chilling and ascorbic acid best preserve basil color for pesto production. This spectrophotometric analysis monitors color changes, ensuring quality for manufacturers.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Color is crucial for basil-based semi-finished products used in pesto sauce.
- Industrial recipes often use preservatives and may lack optimal color preservation methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate alternative formulations for preserving basil color.
- To propose a fast, non-destructive spectrophotometric method for monitoring color variations.
Main Methods:
- UV-visible spectrophotometry (380-900 nm) with an integrating sphere.
- Measurement of CIELab color parameters (L*, a*, b*).
- Multivariate statistical analysis, specifically principal component analysis (PCA).
Main Results:
- Blast chilling combined with ascorbic acid effectively preserved basil color.
- Spectrophotometric analysis successfully monitored color variations during shelf-life.
- Ascorbic acid and citric acid mixtures showed less color preservation than ascorbic acid alone.
Conclusions:
- Blast chilling and ascorbic acid are recommended for maintaining basil product color.
- Spectrophotometry offers a viable method for quality control of basil-based products.
- Optimized formulations enhance the shelf-life and acceptability of pesto ingredients.
