Commercial water-soluble annatto solutions were submitted to different time/temperature treatments to investigate the stability of the color in these conditions. The color was measured in a COMCOR 1500 Plus spectrophotometer in the Hunter Lab System and the results are discussed, as well as the changes in the norbixin salt concentration and L, a, b color parameters. Data were analised for order reaction and the temperature dependence being well explained by the Arrhenius model, with activation energy values between 11 and 25 kcal/mol. The changes in color showed increase on lightness and yellow color and decrease on red color. Norbixin salt degradation reaction follows the second order and for other color parameters, the first order.
norbixin salt; kinetic color degradation; thermal treatment; annatto
