According to China's "Food Additives Use Standards" (GB 2760-2014), natural colorants that can be used in cooked meat products are capsicum red, sorghum red, red yeast red pigment, and cochineal red.

In addition to poor stability to light, red yeast red pigment has better properties; all aspects of cochineal red are better, but the color tone is purple; sorghum red and red pepper are not as heat-resistant as red yeast red and Cochineal red, and the sorghum red is dark, and the red pepper is yellow.

From the analysis of economic benefits, when the color requirements of meat products are met, the cost of adding different pigments per ton of meat products is: red yeast red 25 yuan, red yeast pigment powder 20 yuan, chili red 80 yuan, high sorghum red 107 yuan, Cochineal red 200 yuan. It can be seen that the addition of monascus pigment to meat products is the most economically suitable.

Comparison of Monascus Red Pigment and Monascus Pigment Powder

In the meat products, both red yeast red pigment and red yeast pigment powder can achieve the coloring effect. Red yeast red color has high unit price, good water solubility and convenient use; red yeast pigment has low pink price unit and poor water solubility, but it is more stable than red yeast red pigment and has certain antiseptic function, which can greatly reduce nitrous acid. The amount of salt used instead of some starch is lower in overall cost.

Production application proves: Monascus pigment powder can fully meet the quality requirements, and its heat resistance, light resistance and other stability are better than red yeast red pigment. Replacing red yeast red with red yeast pigment in meat products can reduce costs.

Comparison of the use of monascus red pigment and nitrite

The red yeast red pigment is added to the meat product and can partially replace the coloring agent-nitrite in the meat product. The principle of red yeast red pigment is direct dyeing. Monascus red pigment has similar properties to nitrate or nitrite, can give meat products good appearance color and flavor, inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms, prolong the shelf life and prevent food poisoning, and can impart unique characteristics to meat products. "Meat red" makes the color of the product more natural.

When red yeast red pigment is added to the pickled product, the amount of nitrite can be completely reduced by 60%, and its sensory properties and storability are not affected. The drastic reduction of nitrite can greatly reduce the incidence of nitrosamine carcinogens caused by nitrous residues in products, and is more beneficial to consumers' health.