0139–3006/$ 20.00 © 2016 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest Acta Alimentaria, Vol. 45 (4), pp. 459–468 (2016) DOI 10.1556/066.2016.45.4.1 KINETICS OF CAROTENOID DEGRADATION IN SPICE PAPRIKA AS AFFECTED BY STORAGE TEMPERATURE AND SEED ADDITION A. KONCSEK a , H.G. DAOOD b * and L. HELYES b a Rubin Spice Paprika Processing Szeged Ltd., H-6771 Szeged-Szőreg, Szerb u. 173. Hungary b Szent István University, H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. u. 1. Hungary (Received: 4 September 2015; accepted: 21 March 2016) The extractable (ASTA) colour retention of four different milled spice paprikas was evaluated at 10, 20, 35, 50, and 60 ºC storage temperature. The ASTA colour stability during long-term storage period strongly depended on the temperature, primary handling and drying of the fresh crop, and the applied production technology. The cooled (10 ºC) or temperature-controlled (20 ºC) conditions appeared to be a reasonable solution to preserve the quality of paprika powder. The kinetics study on the temperature dependence of ASTA colour loss estimated the apparent reaction order, rate constants, predicted half-life times and activation energy. The Q 10 approach and shelf life-plot resulted in useful data, which can be suitable for quick and economical evaluation of further spice paprika products. Keywords: paprika, storage, carotenoids, antioxidants, kinetics Spice paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the most important traditional crops in Hungary (MÁRKUS & KAPITÁNY, 2001). Its dried and ground product (paprika) is a widely used natural food colour and flavour. The colour of ripe fruit of red pepper is due to the high concentration of fat-soluble carotenoid-type pigment (SOMOS, 1984). In the spice paprika products, colour is considered the main quality factor, which determines their commercial value. It is a serious problem that ground paprika loses its colour during storage via pigment oxidation. Pigment degradation is further accelerated upon exposure to heat and/or to light. The colour stability of ground spice paprika during technological process and storage has been found to be affected by the level of antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and tocopherols before processing (DAOOD et al., 1996; MÁRKUS et al., 1999). In studies by BIACS and co-workers (1992) and DAOOD and co-workers (1996) it has been demonstrated that the concentration of both antioxidants should be kept at the concentration at which they effectively function as oxidation barriers against oxidation of carotenoids in ground paprika. Studies by MALCHEV and co-workers (1982), CARBONELL and co-workers (1986), and MINGUEZ-MOSQUERA and HONERO-MÉNDEZ (1993, 1994a, b) indicated that the technological factors most likely to affect quality and colour stability of paprika products may include over- ripening, drying parameters, milling, and storage conditions. Because this work deals with imported and Hungarian types of paprika produced under different cultivation and processing conditions, it is of interest to investigate their storage stability, which is expected to differ considerably. In addition, it is important to search how the grinding of seeds or addition of more seeds modifies the storage stability of the two paprika types. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone:+36-70-3156473; fax: +36-28-410804; e-mail: hdaood682@gmail.com