APPRAISAL OF VARIOUS PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND DETECTION OF SYNTHETIC COLOURS IN SAFFRON (Crocus sativus
Loading...
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Anand Agricultural University, Anand
Abstract
The commercial saffron samples were received by the Department for analytical testing
from different dairy plants and commercial saffron sellers of Gujarat. The saffron
contained on an average 12.88 per cent moisture and volatile matter, 119.77 colouring
power (as direct reading of the absorbance of crocin at 440 nm, on dry matter basis),
55.85 per cent (on dry matter basis) aqueous extract, 6.56 per cent floral waste, 2.47 per
cent (on dry basis) nitrogen, 4.57 per cent total ash and 0.57 per cent acid insoluble ash. It
was seen that there was very large variation in the moisture content from 7.50 to 18.39
per cent and about 97 out of 160 samples (61 per cent) contained moisture well above 12
per cent under regulatory norms. The colouring strength of samples ranged as low as
19.11 and maximum to the values of 231.77. It was further observed that 62 samples
were of finest quality (above 110) as per ISO-1993. The values for majority of the
samples (97 samples) fall between 70.10 and 146.75 with 60.63 per cent as revealed in
frequency distribution. The aqueous extract ranged between 30.18 and 69.38 per cent
Description
Keywords
Dairy Chemistry, Study