REDICTION OF ASCORBIC ACID RETENTION DURING DRYING II. SIMULATION OF RETENTION IN A MODEL SYSTEM

The second part of this study to predict ascorbic acid retention during air-drying deals with the kinetics of degradation of ascorbic acid as a function of moisture content, temperature and time, and with the simulation of ascorbic acid retention. Ascorbic acid degradation was found to follow a first order reaction and to be highly moisture- and temperature-dependent. A reasonable prediction of ascorbic acid retention was obtained when local moisture rather than average moisture content was taken into consideration. This type of approach may be applicable to other nutrients or organoleptic qualities providing that the kinetics of the loss of these qualities can be established.