Functional Properties of a Food Colorant Prepared from Red Cabbage

Spectral, colorant, and stability properties of colorants based on red cabbage, grape, cranberry, beet, and Red No. 40 were compared in buffer and in a simulated beverage. At pH 3, red cabbage imparted a red color similar to that of beet juice and less orange than that of the other colorants. Increasing the pH of red cabbage extracts to 4 produced a bathochromic shift and decreased color strength. Tristimulus parameters displayed maxima when L was varied. Red cabbage pigments were more stable during heating and storage than were the other colorants tested. pH had little effect on color stability; exposure to light greatly increased color loss during storage.