Abstract: Changes of qualities related to non-enzymatic browning in hot break tomato paste (HBTP) at different storage temperatures (0, 25 ℃ and 37 ℃) for 5 months were evaluated in this study, in order to guide the storage of HBTP. Changes of free amino acids, total sugar, vitamin C, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and browning degree (BD) were fitted with zero-, first-order and combined models, respectively, and it was found that the combined model could better explain the kinetic changes of non-enzymatic browning in HBTP during storage. At 25 ℃ or 37 ℃, a good correlation between HMF formation and BD was observed, and color parameters (lightness L*, redness a* and yellowness b*) could be expressed by combined equations as functions of HMF. Higher storage temperatures (25 ℃ and 37 ℃) had significant effects (P＜0.05) on changes of total amino acids, total sugar, vitamin C, HMF, BD and color parameters in HBTP. When stored at 0 ℃, changes of HMF, BD and color parameters in HBTP were not significant (P ＞0.05). All the results indicated that the quality of HBTP was deteriorated significantly during higher temperature storage, but could be protected well during lower temperature storage.

Key words: storage, non-enzymatic browning, kinetics, hot break tomato paste (HBTP)