Color Characteristics of White Ginseng Powder As Influenced by Different Conditions of Sterilization and Storage

살균 및 저장조건을 달리한 백삼분말의 색 특성

Color characteristics were investigated for white ginseng powder immediately and during storage following treatments of gamma ray or ethylene oxide (EO) for microbial decontamination. The variation in fatand water-soluble pigments of the sample was negligible immediately after both treatments, however an apparent increase was observed in the samples stored for four months at $25^{\circ}C$ and RH 90%, in the order of nontreated control, EO-fumigated, and 5 key-irradiated samples. Hunter's color a and b values of white ginseng powder increased slightly in proportion to irradiation doses, whereas EO fumigation caused a decrease in L value and an increase in a and b values of the sample, showing overall color difference (${\delta}^E$) of 1.8. Considering the higher ${\delta}^E$ in the higher RH conditions, airtight packaging and sterilization using like gamma ray were considered an effective means for maintaining high quality of color characteristics in stored white ginseng powder.