The Hunter color parameters (L. a. h.) of grape juice during boiling, cooking and of pestil samples (1.53 mm) during drying were investigated. It was found that most of the color changes occurred during grape juice boiling. However, during hot air or sun drying only the Hunter a-value changed. The reaction associated with color change followed zero-order reaction kinetics. The temperature dependence of the reaction rate constant was described by an Arrhenius-type equation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.