The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of soybean grains stored at different temperatures (8, 13, 18, 23, and 28°C) and with different wet basis moisture content (12% and 16%). For this, kinetic models of pseudo‐zero and pseudo‐first‐order and Arrhenius law were used to verify the changes in color, lipid oxidation, and fatty acids profile. Color loss and lipid oxidation were affected by moisture content and storage temperature, with the most prominent influence observed after the fourth month of storage. The activation energy of the lipid oxidation of grains stored with a moisture content of 12% and 16% were 21.1 kJ mol−1 and 6.2 kJ mol−1, respectively. At low temperatures (8 and 13°C), there was an efficient conservation of soybeans stored with a moisture content of 16%, since the color, lipid oxidation, and profile of fatty acids were preserved for at least 6 months.
Practical applications
Soybeans are a commodity of high economic interest, and improper storage conditions may reduce the quality of the grain. Hence, knowledge of the degradation rate constants of soybean physicochemical properties may help reduce the loss of quality and establish proper storage conditions in the soybean processing industry. This study also supports the development of technologies for controlling temperature and relative humidity to conduct aeration of soybeans during storage, especially in hot and humid regions.