Abstract:
The kinetics of colour (measured as Hunter ‘a/b’ value) degradation in beetroot puree (Beta vulgaris L.)was studied over a temperature range of 50–120 °C(isothermal process), and also during normal open pan
cooking, pressure-cooking and a newly developed and patented fuel-efficient ‘EcoCooker’ (non-isothermal heating process). The degradation of visual colour as
measured as Hunter ‘a/b’ value was found to follow a first order kinetics, where the rate constant increased with an increase in the temperature. The temperature
dependence of degradation was adequately modeled by Arrhenius equation. A mathematical model has been developed using the kinetic parameters obtained from
the isothermal experiments to predict the losses of color in the non-isothermal heating/processing method based
on the time-temperature data for each of the methods. The results obtained indicate a colour degradation of similar magnitude in all the three modes of cooking used in the study
