Color is the primary way consumers identify high-quality vegetables. Vibrant, consistent color enhances customers' perceptions — they see these goods as more desirable, flavorful, and nutritious. Color is also crucial to accurate product classification to meet industry regulations. Adhering to vegetable color standards helps achieve these goals and supports quality assurance programs.
Color Standards Applying to the Vegetable Industry
All vegetables are subject to regulations established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FDA oversees covered processing facilities under Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, while the USDA issues rules — including color standards — to guide manufacturers with product grading. For example, asparagus must meet specific color requirements to qualify as U.S. No. 1 grade.
Some products also have industry-specific and product-specific color standards. Tomatoes and tomato-based products have several specialized color scores and indices, including:
- Tomato Paste Score (TPS)
- Tomato Sauce Score (TSS)
- Tomato Juice Score (TJS)
- Tomato Catsup Score (TCS)
- Tomato a/b Ratio
- Lycopene Index
- Fresh Tomato Color Index (FTCI)
