Title：
A high-precision method evaluating color quality of Sichuan Dark Tea based on colorimeter combined with multi-layer perceptron
Authors：
Yao Zou*, Wanjun Ma ,Qian Tang, Wei Xu, Liqiang Tan, Deyang Han ,Yun Tian, Yue Yuan
Journal:
Journal of Food Process Engineering
DOL:
10.1111/jfpe.13444
Abstract：
Instrumental examination of Sichuan Dark Tea (SDT) quality instead of human panel sensory evaluation is important for quality control. This study attempted to create a high-precision method to rapidly and accurately evaluate SDT color quality. Colorimeter combined with multi-layer perceptron (MLP) was utilized to extract CIELAB color parameters of dried tea, liquor, and infused tea, respectively, and established the prediction models of color attributes scores with the optimal color parameters selected by a principal component analysis (PCA). MLP models established could accurately predict color total scores of SDT, the glossiness of dried tea, and chroma of infused tea (R p = 0.889–0.989; RMSEP = 0.393–0.631). Besides, models based on tea pigments could accurately predict infused tea color total scores (R p = 0.920, RMSEP = 0.531). Parameter a* was significantly correlated with almost all of the color evaluation factors of SDT and seemed to be the characteristic color parameter. The color quality of Sichuan Dark Tea can be excellently estimated by the method utilizing colorimeter coupled with MLP.
