Red Currant

National Standard: GB 1886.181-2016 National Standard for Food Safety Food Additives Red Yeast Red

Definition: A food additive obtained by extracting, concentrating and refining the liquid medium of rice and soybean as the main raw material and the liquid fermentation culture, extraction, concentration and refining of Monascus; or by extracting, concentrating and refining the food additive obtained by using red currant rice as the raw material.

Sensory requirements:

Physical and chemical indicators:

Solubility : Soluble in neutral and alkaline aqueous solutions. In the medium below pH4.0, the solubility decreases. Easily soluble in ethanol, propylene glycol, propanetriol and their aqueous solutions, insoluble in grease and non-polar solvents.

Stability: heat resistance and acid resistance, direct sunlight can fade. It has strong coloring performance on protein, once stained, the color will not fade even after washing.

Application of red crimson pigment in products

Application in meat products
Fermented sausage is made by inoculating lactic acid bacteria for fermentation and meat products, in the traditional processing methods, adding nitrite coloring, but taking into account the potential hazards of nitrite, some researchers have switched to the use of red pigment as a coloring agent for fermented sausage, the results show that: 1600 ppm red pigment as a coloring agent for the production of fermented sausage color is close to the fermented sausage color produced by the 150 ppm sodium nitrite as a coloring agent. The results showed that: the color of fermented sausage made with 1600ppm red currant pigment as coloring agent was close to that of fermented sausage made with 150ppm sodium nitrite as coloring agent; the fermented sausage made with red currant pigment did not change color within one month when stored at 4℃. Although the dosage is more than that of sodium nitrite, the safety is high.

At the same time using 1600mg/kg of red currant pigment mixed with Streptococcus lactis or potassium sorbate, it was found that Clostridium botulinum had a significant “poisonous” effect, so that the nutrient cell rupture. That is to say, the use of red currant pigment as a coloring agent, can replace part of the amount of nitrite, but also inhibit Clostridium botulinum bacillus.

Application in tofu milk
Bean curd milk is a traditional fermented food in China. After the fermentation of bean curd, protein is hydrolyzed into many kinds of amino acids as well as alcohols, esters, organic acids, and aromatic presenting substances, which forms the unique color and flavor style of bean curd milk and is rich in nutrients to be absorbed.

Red Bean Curd uses red curd pigment to form an attractive red color on the surface of the product and a variety of aroma and flavor components inside. Its production process is as follows:

Soybeans → soaking in water → grinding → filtering → boiling → spotting (adding coagulant) → raising flowers → pressing → scribing → curd billet → inoculation (Trichoderma or Rhizoctonia) cultivating fungus → pickling billet (adding salt) → mounting altar [adding ingredients (yellow wine or rice wine + noodle curd + red curd red powder + flavorings)] → maturing → finished product

Application in soy sauce
Adding the red currant pigment powder directly to the fermentation of soy sauce spirits can increase the red index of soy sauce and improve the flavor of soy sauce.

Application in confectionery
In the production of pastries, when adding red currant water extract, the different amount of its addition to the aroma, taste and texture of red currant bread does not have a great impact, only with the increase in the amount of addition, the color has deepened and become red. Compared with the direct addition of red currant powder, there is a big change in all aspects, especially in the aroma, compared with the pastries made without red currant extract, it is more refreshing and unique.

The reason of red color fading

1、Temperature
Red yeast red pigment is relatively stable below 130℃, when the temperature is higher than 150℃, red yeast red pigment starts to degenerate and decompose rapidly, resulting in rapid loss of color.

2、Light
It is found that continuous light will significantly reduce the stability of erythrocyanidin red pigment. The red pigment of erythrocyanin is relatively sensitive to sunlight, and will undergo significant discoloration under sunlight irradiation. Under the same light intensity, as the wavelength decreases, the degree of degradation of erythrocyanidin red pigment rises, especially sensitive to ultraviolet light.

3、Metal ions
It is found that a small amount of sodium ions, calcium ions have almost no effect on erythrocyanine pigment, while zinc ions, copper ions have a significant effect on erythrocyanine pigment. Among them, Cu2+ and Fe3+ will make the reddish red pigment bright red to brown, and produce precipitation.

4、Additives or other agents
Experiments have found that the red currant red pigment has an effect on additives and reagents such as sodium nitrite, ascorbic acid, hydrogen peroxide, etc. However, in the presence of sodium hypochlorite, the red currant red pigment discolors severely.

5、Oxygen
Redcurrant pigment has a strong scavenging capacity for free radicals and has significant antioxidant properties. Oxidation will change the color of erythrocyanine pigment.

6、pH
The red color pigment is relatively stable in the range of pH3~10, higher or lower than the range, the stability of red color pigment decreases significantly.

Prevention of red color fading measures

1、Control the thermal processing temperature, for the frying process, can be changed to low temperature frying.
2、Avoid light, use light insulation measures.
3, add metal chelating agent, such as disodium EDTA.
4, add antioxidants, such as ascorbic acid, citric acid.
5、Replace the packaging material, use the package material with better light barrier and oxygen barrier performance.
6、Attention to the amount of disinfection reagents and residual amount in the production environment.