Loss and generation of antioxidants during processing and storage

Summary

This paper by Nicoli et al. (1999), published in Food Chemistry, reviews the dual and competing effects of food processing and storage on antioxidant content. It argues that while conventional processing can degrade native antioxidants such as vitamin C and polyphenols, it may simultaneously generate new antioxidant species through reactions such as the Maillard browning reaction, with the net effect on antioxidant capacity depending on the specific food matrix and processing conditions. The paper is an early and frequently cited contribution to understanding how food preparation and preservation alter the nutritional and functional quality of foods.

UK applicability

The findings are broadly applicable to UK food processing, retail and dietary contexts, as the principles governing antioxidant loss and generation during heating, drying and storage are not geographically specific. They are relevant to UK food manufacturers, nutritionists and public health bodies considering the nutritional impact of processed and stored foods.

Key measures

Total antioxidant activity; individual antioxidant compound concentrations (e.g. ascorbic acid, tocopherols, phenolics); Maillard reaction product formation

Outcomes reported

The study examined how food processing and storage affect the antioxidant capacity of foods, reporting both degradation of native antioxidants (e.g. vitamins, polyphenols) and the formation of new antioxidant compounds (e.g. Maillard reaction products). It likely reported changes in total antioxidant activity and specific antioxidant concentrations under varying processing conditions.

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