Cochineal Pigment From Subcritical Water Extraction: Stability in Persimmon Pectin Gummies Under Colored Packaging

The growing demand for natural food colorants necessitates the development of sustainable and efficient extraction technologies. This study focuses on the engineering optimization of a green subcritical water extraction (SWE) process for cochineal pigment from Dactylopius coccus, utilizing response surface methodology (RSM). The process parameters, including extraction temperature, time, and liquid‐to‐solid ratio, were systematically optimized to maximize pigment yield. Under the optimal conditions (127°C, 29 min, 87 mL/g), a high extraction efficiency of 64.03% was achieved, demonstrating the superiority of SWE over conventional methods in terms of speed and environmental impact. Furthermore, the study investigates the application of spectral filtering principles in food packaging to enhance the storage stability of persimmon pectin gummies fortified with the extracted pigment. The physicochemical stability of the gummies, particularly color retention (Δ E ) and textural properties (hardness, elasticity), was evaluated under six different colored packaging films (transparent, black, red, blue, green, yellow) over a 15‐day period. Results indicated that green and red packaging acted as effective “optical barriers,” significantly reducing photo‐degradation and maintaining superior color stability (Δ E < 1.5). Texture analysis revealed that red‐packaged samples exhibited the most stable rheological behavior, resisting hardening and maintaining elasticity. This research provides engineering insights into the scale‐up potential of subcritical fluid extraction and offers practical guidelines for packaging material selection based on light transmission properties to ensure the quality of pigment‐enriched confectionery products.