The Application of Computer Color Matching Techniques to the Matching of Target Colors in a Food Substrate: A First Step in the Development of Foods with Customized Appearance

摘要

A predictive color matching model based on the colorimetric technique was developed and used to calculate the concentrations of primary food dyes needed in a model food substrate to match a set of standard tile colors. This research is the first stage in the development of novel three-dimensional (3D) foods in which color images or designs can be rapidly reproduced in 3D form. Absorption coefficients were derived for each dye, from a concentration series in the model substrate, a microwave-baked cake. When used in a linear, additive blending model these coefficients were able to predict cake color from selected dye blends to within 3 ΔE*_(ab,10) color difference units, or within the limit of a visually acceptable match. Absorption coefficients were converted to pseudo X_(10), Y_(10), and Z_(10) tri-stimulus values (X_(10)~P), Y_(10)~P), Z_(10)~P) for colorimetric matching. The Allen algorithm was used to calculate dye concentrations to match the X_(10)~P), Y_(10)~P), and Z_(10)~P) values of each tile color. Several recipes for each color were computed with the tile specular component included or excluded, and tested in the cake. Some tile colors proved out-of-gamut, limited by legal dye concentrations; these were scaled to within legal range. Actual differences suggest reasonable visual matches could be achieved for within-gamut tile colors. The Allen algorithm, with appropriate adjustments of concentration outputs, could provide a sufficiently rapid and accurate calculation tool for 3D color food printing.