Effect of Ageing on Rheological Properties and Quality of Shanxi Aged Vinegar

Abstract

Abstract The quality of Shanxi aged vinegar (SAV), a famous Chinese vinegar, was improved during its special long-time ageing. SAV samples of different ageing time were analyzed by composition analysis, rheometer, and principal component analysis (PCA). Three main quality indicators of SAV, namely total acidity, soluble solids content and R ratio, and most of composition, including glucose, acetic acid, lactic acid and total polyphenols increased when ageing process prolonged. Newton function and Power law model were fitted to rheological data to investigate the rheological characters: shear viscosity, consistency coefficients and flow behavior index (n). PCA showed the viscosity of SAV had positive relationship with ageing time as well as all composition parameters. Quality including main quality indicators, composition and rheological characters was significantly differenct (p < 0.05) among the SAV in different phases. Thus, the rheological method was a very useful tool to classify the quality of SAV.