COLOR LOSS IN PAPRIKA FROM VARIETY NUMEX CONQUISTADOR PEPPERS GROWN IN-FIELD AND GREENHOUSE

We studied the color and its loss kinetic in paprikas made from the pe pper variety NuMex Conquistador, grown in the field and in a greenhous e, during storage in darkness in different humidity and temperature co nditions. The experimental data are fitted to a first order kinetic. F or each of the storage conditions the velocity constants of color loss (lambda) and the half lives (t(1/2) and t(1/2,exp)) were obtained. As expected, color loss was more rapid as storage temperatures rose alth ough it slowed down as the relative ambiental humidity of storage incr eased. It was also observed that greenhouse cultivated plants produced a more deeply colored paprika although the loss in color was also gre ater.