Summary
This narrative review, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, synthesises the published literature on how common post-harvest processing and storage practices influence the vitamin content of fruits and vegetables. It covers a range of treatments including thermal processing, freezing, refrigeration, drying, and modified atmosphere storage, evaluating their relative impacts on water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The paper provides a reference framework for understanding nutrient loss across the food supply chain from farm to consumption.
UK applicability
Although the review is international in scope, the findings are directly applicable to UK food supply chains and public health nutrition, particularly given UK dietary reliance on processed and stored produce and ongoing policy interest in nutrient quality through initiatives such as the National Food Strategy.
Key measures
Vitamin retention and loss (% change); vitamin concentrations (mg/100g or mg/kg) across processing and storage treatments for selected fruits and vegetables
Outcomes reported
The review examined how various processing techniques (e.g. blanching, canning, freezing, drying) and storage conditions affect the retention or degradation of vitamins in fruits and vegetables. It likely reported percentage losses of key vitamins such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), thiamine, folate, and carotenoids under different treatment conditions.
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