Undesirable storage conditions lead to physicochemical changes in stored vegetables, which affect their consumer acceptability. Studies aimed at quantifying the extent of those changes under different storage conditions are valuable for minimizing the deleterious effect on product quality. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of Aloe vera and gum tragacanth as edible coatings for bell pepper and to determine their influence on changes in physicochemical properties during storage at 4, 10, 15 and 23C for 30 days. Data on weight loss, shrinkage, hardness and color were collected and subjected to statistical analysis. 4 and 10C showed significantly better physicochemical characteristics than other temperatures and compared with control, A. vera- and gum tragacanth-treated bell peppers were significantly better. Higher temperatures resulted in more rapid changes. The first-order kinetic models showed a good fit to the changes of color parameters. Temperature sensitivity of the rate constants was adequately described by Arrhenius equation.

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