Kinetics of ascorbic acid degradation in potato blanching

Summary Degradation kinetics of ascorbic acid was investigated on potato strips wrapped in aluminium foil and blanched for 5–60 min at different temperatures between 65°C and 100°C. The results confirmed that first order kinetics is adequate in describing the degradation reaction. The value of the rate constant was found to pass through a maximum at 85–90°C, indicating the inactivation of oxidative enzymes around these temperatures. Comparison of the degradation losses based on the present investigation with results on total loss of ascorbic acid during blanching reported in the literature showed that thermal degradation accounts for a considerable portion of the total loss.