Of these, cultivar and storage temperature have the greatest influence on color retention. The initial color of chile fruits at harvest or after dehydration is not a good indication of the rate of color loss in storage. Therefore, cultivars should be evaluated for initial color and color retention properties. Ground chile loses color faster than whole pods during storage. For this reason, red chile is often stored as flakes before final grinding.
Flakes require less storage space than whole pods and maintain color better than ground powder.
Also, the presence of seeds in ground chile reduces the initial color of the product but decreases the rate of color loss in storage. Storage temperature affects color more than any other environmental factor. Color loss is accelerated as temperature increases, and any exposure to light or oxygen hastens the rate of pigment bleaching. Anti-oxidants such as ethoxyquin, tocopherols, and ascorbic acid can be added to the product to improve color retention. Currently, the storage life of dehydrated red chile, with respect to color retention, is difficult to predict because of the many cultivar differences and environ- mental factors affecting both initial and postharvest quality.