The effect of thermal processing (85-130 °C) on the stability and isomerization of β-carotene in both an olive oil/carrot emulsion and an olive oil phase enriched with carrot β-carotene was studied. During processing, degradation of total β-carotene took place. Initially, total β-carotene concentration decreased quickly, after which a plateau value was reached, which was dependent on the applied temperature. In the oil/carrot emulsion, the total β-carotene concentration could be modeled by a fractional conversion model. The temperature dependence of the degradation rate constants was described by the activation energy and was estimated to be 45.0 kJ/mol. In the enriched oil phase, less degradation took place and the results could not be modeled. Besides degradation, β-carotene isomerization was studied. In both matrices, a fractional conversion model could be used to model total isomerization and formation of 13-Z- and 15-Z-β-carotene. β-Carotene isomerization was similar in both the oil/carrot emulsion and enriched oil phase as the simultaneously estimated kinetic parameters (isomerization reaction rate constant and activation energy) of both matrices did not differ significantly. The activation energies of isomerization were estimated to be 70.5 and 75.0 kJ/mol in the oil/carrot emulsion and enriched oil phase, respectively.

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