Production of Natural Pigments from Monascus ruber by Solid State Fermentation of Broken Rice and its Application as Colorants of Some Dairy Products

The present study was aimed to maximize the production of natural pigments from Monascus ruber Went AUMC 5705 by solid state fermentation of broken rice to be a safe and healthy substitute of the harmful chemical dyes in the coloring of some flavored dairy products. Maximum pigments productivity was achieved under the following conditions: initial substrate moisture content 39%, substrate particle size 2-2.5 mm, PH 6.5, inoculums size 126×104 spores per 10 g dried rice and incubation period of 15 days at 30°C. The favorable nitrogen source was monosodium glutamate at 2% concentration. The obtained pigments mixture was extracted with 95% ethanol and further separated into red, orange and yellow water soluble pigments. These pigments were applied as coloring agents of flavored yoghurt and milk beverages. On the sensory evaluation, application of these natural colorants in a preparation of flavored dairy products was found to be highly acceptable.