The kinetics of ascorbic acid (AA) degradation in a fruit-based beikost product added with AA were determined after storage at 4, 25, 37 and 50 degrees C during 4, 8, 12, 16 and 32 weeks in plastic polypropylene/ethylene-vinyl alcohol vacuum packaging. It was confirmed that AA degradation followed an Arrhenius first-order kinetics, with an activation energy of 20.11 +/- 0.33 kcal mol(-1). No AA losses at 4 degrees C were recorded during the entire storage period. In contrast, a time- and temperature-dependent decrease (p< 0.05) in AA was observed at the other tested temperatures - the degradation rate decreasing from 50 degrees C to 25 degrees C, as expected. AA percentage retention at the end of storage ranged between 6.4% (50 degrees C/16 weeks) and 100.9% (4 degrees C/32 weeks). (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.