Lucantin Red : Selecting the color of the egg yolk.
The consumer’s perception as to what is an “appropriate” color is dependent on his personal experiences, cultural background, and geographic location. This is illustrated by the fact that consumers in different parts of the world prefer different egg yolk colors. The Lucantin® product line from BASF is designed to help tailor the egg yolk color precisely to the requirements of the specific market and to achieve reliable pigmentation results.
With BASF’s egg yolk color fan, the color of the egg yolk can be selected on a scale from 1 to 15, which in turn determines the required Lucantin® dosage (see Figure). The Lucantin® product range comprises efficient C30 ester (Lucantin® Yellow), canthaxanthin (Lucantin® Red), and citranaxanthin (Lucantin® CX Forte) formulations. Lucantin® formulations can substitute pigments derived from natural sources.
Naturally occurring pigments are found in plants; these include lutein and zeaxanthin in maize or marigold flowers (tagetes) as well as in alfalfa or grass meal. Carotenoid content in nature, however, varies from plant to plant, with the result that variations in egg pigmentation must be expected when using naturally occurring pigments in layer feed.