Saffron: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:17, 9 December 2005

Revision as of 17:28, 9 December 2005

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Saffron types are graded by quality according to laboratory measurements of such characteristics as

crocine (color), picocrocine (taste), and saffranal content (colorfragrance) content . Other metrics include floral waste content (''i.e.'', the saffron spice sample's non-stigma floral content) and measurements of other extraneous matter. A uniform set of international standards in saffron spice grading has been enshrined in an

[[ISO]] (International Standards Organization &mdash; an international federation of national standards bodies seeking worldwide standardization). Specifically, ISO 3632 (which deals exclusively with saffron) establishes four empirical grades of colorative quality: IV (poorest), III, II, and I (finest quality). These are determined by finding the spice's crocine content; spectroscopic [[absorbance]] (<math>A_\lambda = -\log(I/I_0)</math> &mdash; with <math>A_\lambda</math> being a measure of a given substance's transparancy (<math>I/I_0</math> &mdash; ratio of light intensity passing through sample to that of the incidence light) to a given wavelength of light) is determined for the crocine-specific electromagnetic wavelength of 440 [[nanometer|nm]] in a given dry sample of spice. Higher absorbances at this wavelength implies greater crocine concentration, and thus a greater colorative intensity. These data are measured through photospectroscopy reports at certified testing laboratories worldwide. These color grades proceed from grades with absorbances lower than 80 (for all category IV saffron) up to 190 or greater (for category I). The world's very finest samples (the selected most red-maroon tips of stigmas picked from the finest flowers) receive sbsorbance scores in excess of 250. Market prices for saffron types follow directly from these ISO scores. {{Ref|Tarvand_2005b}}