Colour Dosage (Lovibond)

Color is a key quality criterion in many sectors, particularly for edible oils, fats, liquid extracts, and certain cosmetic or nutraceutical formulations. The Lovibond scale is an internationally recognized method for measuring color, based on evaluation using yellow and red units. It serves as a reference tool for quality control and visual conformity assessment of products.

Lovibond comparator analysis allows for precise and standardized quantification of color, ensuring homogeneity between batches and better consumer acceptance.

Importance of the dosage using the Lovibond scale

The color of oils and liquid extracts is a direct indicator of their purity, stability, and quality. The Lovibond scale serves several purposes:

• Ensure food and cosmetic products comply with current visual standards
• Objectively compare different production batches
• Monitor the consistency and homogeneity of raw materials
• Detect any degradation or oxidation related to storage or transport
• Strengthen traceability and transparency for customers and distributors

This method is particularly appreciated in the food industry, where color directly influences the organoleptic perception and market value of oils.

Principle of the Lovibond method

The color determination by Lovibond relies on an optical comparator using colored glass filters. The liquid sample is compared visually or optically to filters standardized according to two main scales:

• yellow units (Y)
• red units (R)

The results are expressed as numerical values ​​that allow for a precise characterization of the product's color. This approach is widely used in quality control laboratories and is a simple, reproducible method that conforms to international standards.

Affected matrices

The Lovibond scale is particularly well-suited for the analysis of liquid and clear products, including:

• Edible oils (vegetable oils, refined oils, crude oils)
• Clarified fats and butters
• Essential oils and liquid extracts used in cosmetics and nutraceuticals
• Plant solutions or concentrated extracts

This method is used on both raw materials and finished products, ensuring complete monitoring of the production chain.

Industrial applications

Colorimetric measurement by Lovibond is a reference tool in several sectors:

• In the food industry, to control the color of vegetable oils, fats, and processed products
• In cosmetics, to verify the uniformity of essential oils and liquid formulations
• In nutraceuticals, to standardize the color of liquid plant-based extracts
• In animal nutrition, to ensure the visual consistency of oils and fats used as ingredients

The Lovibond method thus contributes to strengthening quality control and regulatory compliance while meeting consumer expectations.

Additional analyses available

YesWeLab offers several complementary analyses to evaluate the visual and physicochemical properties of oils and extracts:

Color dosage (Minolta)
Peroxide value
Acid value
Turbidity analysis

These combined analyses allow for a broader characterization of the quality of oils and greases, and strengthen the reliability of quality controls.

YesWeLab expertise

YesWeLab collaborates with a network of partner laboratories specializing in physico-chemical and colorimetric analyses, rigorously selected and mostly ISO 17025 certified and COFRAC accredited.

Since 2020, our digital platform has simplified analysis management for manufacturers, distributors, and engineering firms. It centralizes requests, enables real-time sample tracking, and guarantees fast and reliable results.

Our scientific team supports each project with precision and responsiveness, in order to meet the specific requirements of different industrial sectors.