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The human eye is made up of over two million parts making it second only to the brain in complexity. Image Source: Flickr user Ali T

As I drove down the road today, the colors painting the landscape reminded me why I love this time of year. In my part of the country the trees are beginning to turn bright hues of golden-yellow and reddish-orange. Every day I am amazed by the stunning visual assessment of color that our human eyes are capable of. Fall is also the time of year that has me reflecting on the colors that line the isles of my local store as I contemplate my next autumn-inspired wardrobe or décor purchase, or comforting crockpot meal. Once again the visual assessment of color invigorates my senses… and my purchasing choices, too.

The amazing human eye

The eye is one of the most important and complex parts of the human body. Consisting of over two million working parts and is second only to the brain in complexity. It is no wonder why vision is such an essential part of who we are and the way we perceive the world. Our visual assessment directs the way we feel, our choices in clothing, the foods we eat, and the products we buy.

We use our sense of sight on a daily basis to make decisions and choices, and despite variations in visual assessment from one person to the next, it is still more consistent than our sense of taste or smell. With the ability to decode up to 500 shades of gray and over 10 million different color combinations, it is no wonder that both scientists and manufacturers want to know more about how color influences the population.

The color of any consumable tells buyers that the product is safe and healthy for their needs. Learn why you need to measure the color of your flour and how HunterLab can help below.

For those who love the sweeter things in life, cocoa powder is a must-have pantry staple. Whether it's a necessary ingredient in baking or a finishing touch on the sweetest confections, many people buy cocoa powder at some point in their lives. Therefore, they know what it's meant to look like.

Though cocoa powder can come in a range of shades, anything too out of the ordinary may be perceived as low quality or expired, driving consumers to new brands to find their next container. Measuring the color of your cocoa powder helps maintain quality assurance and keeps your processes running as they should.

What Causes Differences in Cocoa Powder Color?

Most shoppers buy the cheapest or best-looking box of cocoa powder on the shelves, but as someone involved with the product, you should know more about what goes into every box. The three types of cocoa powder each offer a darker, richer color than the one before:

1. Natural: Cocoa beans are simply fermented, dried, roasted, and ground, creating a strong flavor and acidic powder. Most products on store shelves are this type, meaning customers are familiar with the light brown color.
2. Dutch process: This product comes from beans washed in potassium carbonate. The alkaline solution neutralizes the acidity, influencing how it functions in recipes. This alkalizing process also darkens the powder.
3. Black: As the name implies, this powder is almost black. Its deep shade comes from treatment with a stronger alkalizing agent.

Besides color differences between types of cocoa powder, other factors during the production process influence appearance. The cocoa beans that produce each powder have varying levels of acidity, fermentation time, and other factors — all of which impact the appearance of the final result. 

Even after production, the look changes. The powder color may degrade during storage due to light, heat, and humidity influences. Identifying differences can support better quality control processes, from production to storage.

Though some of the color differences are not obvious to the human eye, they can affect quality and even taste over time. That is why it is necessary to compare samples and measure results using color measurement equipment like a spectrophotometer from HunterLab.

Color measurements provide valuable information for food producers, manufacturers, and distributors. As one of the first things consumers are bound to notice when making purchasing decisions, color makes an impression. And consistent colors in any food are key to delivering what consumers consider natural, healthy, and brand-conscious.

When measuring color, every ingredient counts, even the ones generally considered colorless and of little effect. Baking powder often falls into this designation, but this ingredient has a well-defined color that consumers expect. Here's what you need to know about baking powder to produce a valuable commodity for baking.

Baking powder adds important effects to baked goods, making them airy and light for an appealing and delicious finished product. Fresh baking powder made with quality ingredients creates fresher baked goods. Measuring the quality and color of your baking powder leads to more consistent baking outcomes for your end users.

Flour is an essential ingredient for many recipes, often affecting the final color of the finished product whether it's a cake or pasta dish. As a flour producer, your company relies on consistent results for each batch so customers can trust your brand.

As one of the most versatile foods in the world, raw grain can look vastly different based on a staggering amount of factors. Certain colorations may indicate features like enhanced protein or better milling, so in this case, measuring the color of your grain does more than appease consumer interests.