Seasonality of the Thermal Kinetics of Color Changes in Whole Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea) Leaves Under Pasteurization Conditions

Abstract

Color changes in whole spinach (Spinacia oleracea) leaves at pasteurization temperatures (65 to 90°C) indicate that the parameter of “greenness” (-a_t/b_t) increased during a short initial period of heating, followed by a loss that was more pronounced at higher temperatures. Seasonality was evident in kinetic models for color changes possibly due to seasonal difference in chemical composition influencing color degradation kinetics. The mechanism for loss of greenness at lower temperatures was attributed to enzymatic activity while cell collapse, cell compaction, and oxidative changes were probably more important at higher temperatures. Lower temperatures resulted in a higher retention of green color of spinach leaves during the thermal pasteurization process and the kinetic models presented in this work could be used for optimizing pasteurization processes.

Keywords:

• Thermal processing
• Reaction kinetics
• Browning index
• Cell structure
• Scanning electron microscopy