Anthocyanin-based pigment composition

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a high-quality anthocyanin pigment composition more efficiently and at a lower cost than red cabbage pigment, which has not been achieved by the prior art. This invention provides the following anthocyanin pigment composition derived from a plant other than red cabbage, the composition having the following features (A), (B), and (C): (A) an aqueous solution containing the anthocyanin pigment composition and adjusted to a pH of 3 with a citrate buffer (pH: 3.0) has a maximum absorption wavelength in the range of 500 to 550 nm in the visible light region; (B) when a pigment-composition-containing aqueous solution containing the anthocyanin pigment composition, 0.2 mass % citric acid, 20 mass % ethanol, and water is prepared so as to have a color value E10%1cm of 10, 1 mL of the aqueous solution is sealed in a 20-mL vial, and the vial is stored at 50° C. for 5 days and further maintained at 40° C. for 30 minutes, the total amount of methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide in the gas in the sealed space of the vial is 100 pg/mL or less; and (C) the gas in the sealed space of the vial contains 5-methylthiopentanenitrile when the vial is maintained at 40° C. for 30 minutes in (B) above.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.