Study on the kinetic model of the quality change during the storage of Dapingding jujube

In order to predict and control the quality changes during the storage of jujube, the law for the decay index, L* values, and vitamin C content of jujube changing with the storage time were studied at different temperatures. Based on the Arrhenius equation theory, the kinetic model of the decay index, L* values and vitamin C content with respect to storage time and temperature were developed. Results showed that the decay index decreased with storage time, while L* values and vitamin C content increased with storage time. The quality change was accelerated at high temperature. Changes of the decay index were precise to the zero order chemical reaction model, and the L* values and vitamin C loss were coincident with the first order kinetics model. The relative error between the predicted and the measured values was less than 10%, which indicated that the established mathematical model could predict the quality change of jujube during the storage at temperatures ranging from 273 to 293K.