One of the quaternary mixes (PM) was a segregating mix but still
had potential for using the DCI method even though there was no potential for the O/S mix which was also a segregating mix. This was
most likely because PM was not as strongly segregating as O/S due to
the powder properties of the non-oregano powders and also because
it had a lower oregano content. The net effect was that the nonoregano powders did not totally segregate from the surface and were
still visible for colour measurement by the DCI method. Overall, the
DCI method shows some potential for assessing the mixture quality of
powders, including spice mixes, provided that there are sufficient colour
differences between the components and the powders are not strongly
segregating. Consequently, there are mixes where it may be suitable
for assessing mixture quality, but there are others where it may be
unsuitable.