Q. Why is colour an important characteristic of food?

Colour is an important quality attribute in food although they do not necessarily influence their nutritional, flavour or functional quality. Consumer preferences are strongly influenced by the colour of the food. Colour is defined as the characteristic of light that is measured in terms of intensity and wavelength. Why is colour an important characteristic of food? What are its functions? How can we measure colour in foods These are a few aspects covered in this section. We begin by first understanding the functions of colour in foods.