The present invention discloses a method for preparing aluminum-free carmine
pigment microemulsion, comprising the following steps: S1: mixing a
whey protein isolate solution with an aluminum-free carmine
pigment solution, adding a copigment solution, adjusting the pH to 3-6, obtaining a premixed
pigment solution, and mixing the premixed pigment solution with a cosurfactant,
glycerol, in a 1:1 ratio to form a new aqueous phase; S2: mixing oil and a mixed emulsifier to obtain an
oil phase; and S3: dropwise adding the aqueous phase formed in S1 to the
oil phase obtained in S2 to obtain the aluminum-free carmine pigment in a
microemulsion. The present invention utilizes the synergistic effect of
protein and
polyphenol copigments with the aluminum-free carmine pigment, as well as the encapsulation effect of the
microemulsion, to enhance the stability of the aluminum-free carmine pigment. The method is simple to operate, non-toxic, and harmless, effectively inhibiting the degradation and
fading of the aluminum-free carmine pigment caused by
light exposure, and has good application prospects in the
processing of oily liquids and
solid foods.