Anthocyanin-based pigment composition

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an anthocyanin-based pigment composition having high quality which has not been attained hitherto, at a higher efficiency and lower cost than a red cabbage pigment. This anthocyanin-based pigment composition is derived from a plant other than red cabbage and has the following features (A), (B), and (C): (A) an aqueous solution which contains the anthocyanin-based pigment composition and has a pH adjusted to 3 with a citric acid buffer (pH, 3.0) has a maximum absorption wavelength in the visible-light region of 500-550 nm; (B) when a pigment-composition-containing aqueous solution comprising the anthocyanin-based pigment composition, 0.2 mass% citric acid, 20 mass% ethanol, and water is prepared so as to have a color value E 10% 1cm of 10 and poured in an amount of 1 mL into a 20-mL vial and this vial is closed, stored at 50°C for 5 days, and thereafter held at 40°C for 30 minutes, then the total amount of methyl mercaptan, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide contained in the gas present in the closed space of the vial is 100 pg/mL or less; and (C) the gas present in the closed space of the vial which has undergone the 40°C 30-minute holding in (B) above contains 5-methylthiopentanenitrile.