Kinetic Modeling of Quality Changes and Shelf Life Prediction of Dried Coconut Chips

Abstract

The color, texture and rancidity of dried fruit are critical parameters to control for consumer acceptance. The goal of this research was to investigate the kinetics of color parameter changes and texture in terms of the crispness and peroxide value (PV) of dried coconut chips by using zero-, first- and second-order kinetic reactions during storage at different temperatures, as well as shelf life prediction using the accelerated method. The outcomes demonstrated that the zero-order kinetic reaction was appropriate to describe the change in color, crispness and PV of dried coconut chips during storage (R2 = 0.9690–0.9899). The rancidity had a higher correlation than the texture and color changes used to assign the quality essence. The activation energy (Ea) for the PV change was 11.83 kJ/mol. Therefore, the shelf life expectancy of the dried coconut chips was estimated to be 144, 128 and 115 days at 35, 45 and 55 °C, respectively. Meanwhile, the shelf life of products stored at ambient temperature was 159 days, and those products were stored in the refrigerator for 194 days. The findings provide retailers and consumers the ability to choose the ideal temperature and storage time for dried coconut chips in order to ensure the product’s quality.