Summary
This review article, published in Food Engineering Reviews, critically examines the literature on how both thermal and non-thermal food processing methods influence the concentration and stability of vitamin C. Vitamin C is among the most heat-labile micronutrients, and the paper likely synthesises evidence on degradation mechanisms under conditions such as blanching, pasteurisation, sterilisation, and emerging non-thermal technologies including high-pressure processing and ultrasonication. The review provides a comparative framework that is relevant to food technologists and nutritionists seeking to optimise processing conditions for nutrient retention.
UK applicability
Although not specifically conducted within a UK context, the findings are broadly applicable to UK food manufacturing, retail, and public health nutrition, particularly given UK dietary guidelines emphasising adequate vitamin C intake and ongoing industry interest in minimal-processing technologies.
Key measures
Vitamin C retention (%), ascorbic acid degradation rates, processing temperature and duration, comparative losses across thermal and non-thermal treatments
Outcomes reported
The review examines how various thermal and non-thermal processing technologies affect the stability, retention, and degradation of vitamin C (ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid) in food products. It likely reports on comparative losses across processing methods including heat treatment, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, and irradiation.
Topic tags
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