Agricultural Marketing Service, Specialty Crops Program, Specialty Crops Inspection Division

Approved Orange Juice Colorimeter and Spectrophotometers (May 2020)

SCI Division Inspection Series

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APPROVED ORANGE JUICE COLORIMETER AND SPECTROPHOTOMETERS

In 1985, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in 

cooperation with the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), and the Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) completed a study of electronic colorimeters and spectrophotometers for use in the 

evaluation of "color" in orange juice. The study was based on a request from the Florida citrus 

processing industry to evaluate other instruments, thereby supplementing the approved HunterLab 

D45 and D45D2 Citrus Colorimeters.

Data was gathered by AMS Agricultural Commodity Graders during the 1984-1985 citrus 

processing season on samples of domestic juice from California and Florida and imported juice 

from various countries. ARS scientists assisted in designing the study, conducted statistical 

analysis of the data, and developed equations for values obtained from the instruments under 

evaluation. A technical report of the research was given at the Citrus Processing and Technology 

Conference, Lake Alfred, Florida, on October 16, 1985.

Since 1985, AMS and ARS have been conducting periodic evaluations of electronic orange juice 

colorimeters and spectrophotometers to monitor their performance. Based on these evaluations, 

the HunterLab LabScan Colorimeter (Model LS-5100) was dropped from the list of approved 

colorimeters, effective September 2, 1994.

The GretagMacbeth Color i5 and Xrite Ci7600 underwent trials in 2005-2006 and 2018, 

respectively and both were approved for use.

In 2019 orange juice color measurements were collected by AMS using three model Ci7520 Xrite 

colorimeters. Data was submitted to the AMS Agricultural Analytics Division. The data from the 

three Ci7520s was compared to data from one i5 and one Ci7600 for a total of six comparisons per 

sample. The Ci7520 was found to be comparable to the i5 and Ci7600. 

The following colorimeters and spectrophotometers with their respective equations are approved 

for products covered by the U.S. Standards for Grades of Orange Juice

List of Approved Colorimeters

HunterLab Citrus Colorimeter (Model D45/D45D2)

(using OJ4 tube calibration)

CN = 0.165 CR + 0.111 CY + 22.51
SCI Division Inspection Series Approved Orange Juice Colorimeter and Spectrophotometers

Effective Date: May 2020 Page 2 of 2

List of Approved Spectrophotometers

Macbeth Color-Eye Spectrophotometer Macbeth Color-Eye Spectrophotometer 

(Model 1500) (Model 3000 and Model 3100)

(using white tile calibration) (using white tile calibration)

CN = 39.35 + 1.74X - 1.28Y - 0.94Z CN = 14.5(3.15X/Y - Z/Y + 5.2/Y) - 2.6

Macbeth Color-Eye Spectrophotometer Macbeth Color i5

(Model 2020+) (using white tile calibration)

(using white tile calibration) CN = 14.5(3.15X/Y - Z/Y + 3.9/Y) - 2.6 

CN = 17(3.4X/Y - Z/Y + 5/Y) - 12.6

Xrite Ci7600 Spectrophotometer Xrite Ci7520 Spectrophotometer

(using white tile calibration) (using white tile calibration)

CN=14.5(3.15X/Y - Z/Y + 3.9/Y)-2.6 CN=14.5(3.15X/Y - Z/Y + 3.9/Y)-2.6

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