Comparison of a multispectral vision system and a colorimeter for the assessment of meat color

• Meat color assessment with a multispectral vision system (MVS) is investigated.
• Differences in meat color assessment for MVS and a colorimeter are observed.
• Analysis reveals statistical difference for the two color assessment methods.
• Precise assessment of meat samples with glossier surface with the MVS
• Meat color assessment with the MVS is superior to traditional colorimeter.

The color assessment ability of a multispectral vision system is investigated by a comparison study with color measurements from a traditional colorimeter. The experiment involves fresh and processed meat samples. Meat is a complex material; heterogeneous with varying scattering and reflectance properties, so several factors can influence the instrumental assessment of meat color. In order to assess whether two methods are equivalent, the variation due to these factors must be taken into account. A statistical analysis was conducted and showed that on a calibration sheet the two instruments are equally capable of measuring color. Moreover the vision system provides a more color rich assessment of fresh meat samples with a glossier surface, than the colorimeter. Careful studies of the different sources of variation enable an assessment of the order of magnitude of the variability between methods accounting for other sources of variation leading to the conclusion that color assessment using a multispectral vision system is superior to traditional colorimeter assessments.