Three models for determining the induction time in the browning kinetics of the Granny Smith apple under static conditions

The importance of induction time has often been underestimated in the pheno menon of browning. A better understanding of this period would enable brown ing to be controlled without the use of any additives or inhibitors. In thi s paper, the browning of the Granny Smith apple was studied under static co nditions (for relative humidities from 0 to 1 and temperatures from 40 degr ees C to 90 degrees C), using a spectrophotometric method. The influence of temperature and humidity on the duration of the induction time was observe d, and three empirical models were proposed: the "sterilization-like model" based on Steet and Tong's work (1996), on the analogy with the "death-time " sterilization equation, the "inversed Arrhenius model", based on biochemi cal grounds and the last one, the "statistical approach", on statistical ba sis. All are correlated with the experimental points for medium and high te mperatures (60 degrees C, 70 degrees C, 80 degrees C and 90 degrees C) and are quite equivalent. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.