The first quality control of foods in the food industry is done with the color. If the color of the food does not affect the consumer, it loses points from the beginning, even if other properties such as aroma, taste, nutritional value of the food are good. The color of fruits and vegetables is directly related to their ripening. For example, when tomatoes ripen, their color changes from green to red, whereas the color of beans changes from green to yellow, which means carding. The color of food is related to the pigments contained in the shells and inner tissues.

The primary colors are red, blue and green. White light actually consists of these three colors. These three colors, which cannot be obtained by mixing other colors, are called primary colors. All other colors are formed by a mixture of these three colors. The white light passing through a glass prism changes to seven colors. These seven colors are purple, navy blue, yellow, orange, blue, green and red.

If a substance absorbs light and does not reflect it at all, it is black. This material is white if it reflects all the colors of the light equally. However, if it absorbs some colors of light and reflects some colors, this item is the color of the reflected light. The human eye can normally distinguish over ten million different colors. However, people's color memory is weak and colors cannot be expressed numerically. Therefore, color measurement systems have been developed to identify and distinguish colors.

A number of tools are used in the food industry, including the Hunter colorimeter, for color measurement. In addition, color determination studies are carried out by pigment determination. In addition, color measurement systems such as solutions, filters and color scales based on comparison principle are applied.

In addition to these methods, systems such as International Illumination Commission (CIE) Lab system are applied in a more scientific sense.

Color analyzes are also performed in the authorized laboratories within the scope of physical analyzes. These studies are based on the standards issued by national and international organizations.