摘要:Background and Objectives: Color measurement is important for classifying raw materials, learning how technological processes affect the sample, assessing quality of the final product and monitoring changes in the product during storage period. There are no standards regarding sample thickness and background when evaluating color of dairy products. The aim of the study was to determine the minimum thickness of the analyzed Gouda cheese sample in which the background color would not affect color coordinates. Materials and Methods: Color coordinates of Gouda cheese in the CIE L*a*b* system were measured with respect to two background colors and for different sample thicknesses. Different cheese thicknesses (1.7, 3.4, 5.1, 6.8, 8.5, 10.2, 11.9 and 13.6 mm), background colors (white and black) and two kind of spectrophotometers were used. Results: The background color was observed to be important for the measurement of thinner samples. In the case of cheese sample the thickness must be taken into consideration. The color of background influenced the color parameters obtained in the case of thickness up to 10.2 mm (for the X-Rite SP60 spectrophotometer) and up to 8.5 mm (for Spectro-pen). Conclusion: The results indicated that a minimum sample thickness of 11.9 mm can eliminate the influence of the background color. To eliminate the influence of background color on the obtained color measurement results, it is necessary to consider the thickness of the sample.