What was a key limitation of mid-1900s kinetic modeling methodologies?

Assumed uniform conditions and focused only on single degradation paths.

The scientific approach prevalent in the mid-20th century, heavily reliant on the Arrhenius equation and identifying reaction orders, operated under certain simplifying assumptions that constituted its main limitation. These models often presumed that storage conditions were uniform and constant, failing to account for variability in temperature or humidity that occurs in real-world distribution chains. Furthermore, these traditional kinetic models typically focused on tracking a single, primary degradation mechanism, such as the loss of a specific vitamin, often overlooking the complex, simultaneous impact of multiple chemical reactions or concurrent physical degradation processes occurring within the product.