The lightness parameter L∗ of P. mume fruits did not show significant differences at the initial 6 d of fermentation, and yet showed a tendency to increase during 6 to 10 d of fermentation (Table 1). Similarly, the chromatic parameters of P. mume fruits, a∗ and b∗ did not show significant differences during 10 d of fermentation (Table 1). It has been considered that a total color change (E, which indicates the magnitude of the color difference) of 3.00 could be a noticeable visual difference in a number of situations (Cao and others 2012). The E values of P. mume fruits were less than 2.0 at the initial 6 d of fermentation, and yet the E values of P. mume fruits increase to 5.27 after 8 d of fermentation because of the increase of L∗ value (Table 1). The increase of L∗ value may be due to the texture damage of P. mume fruits at the end of fermentation. In addition, the loss of cell integrity at the end of fermentation can bring the increase of the L∗ value. Changes in the sarcocarp firmness of P. mume fruits during fermentation were shown in Fig. 6. The firmness values of sarcocarp inP.mume fruitsdecreasedrapidlyattheinitial4doffermentation, and then no significant reduction (P > 0.05) of firmness values of sarcocarp in P. mume fruits was observed during the next 6 d of fermentation (Fig. 6). Generally, Firmness of fruits depends on many factors, such as proportion and degree of lignification of fibrous tissue, dehydration, degree of alteration of pectic substances and soluble solids content (Vina and Chaves 2003). The reduction of firmness values of sarcocarp in P. mume fruits at the initial 4 d of fermentation may be caused by the loss of water soluble substance in the P. mume fruits. As described previously, the water soluble substance in the P. mume fruits diffused rapidly into fermen tation broth,and was consumed largely by L.fermentiumatthe 1st 4 d of fermentation. The loss of water soluble substance in the P. mume fruits during fermentation could give rise to disassembly of primary cell wall and middle lamella structures (Vina and Chaves 2003), and further cause the reduction of hardness