Organically labeled vegetables are considered by many consumers to be healthier than non-organic or 'conventional' varieties. However, whether the organic-labeled vegetables contain more nutrients is not clear. The purpose of this study is to examine the nutritional quality of broccoli using vitamin C, a fragile and abundant nutrient, in broccoli as a biomarker. The vitamin C content was assayed (2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol method) in broccoli samples obtained from supermarkets that are considered the point of consumer consumption. These samples were obtained during different seasons when the broccoli could be either harvested locally or shipped far distances. The findings indicate that vitamin C could be used as a marker under a controlled laboratory environment with some limitations and, although the vitamin C content of organically and conventionally labeled broccoli was not significantly different, significant seasonal changes have been observed. The fall values for vitamin C were almost twice as high as those for spring for both varieties (P=0.021 for organic and P=0.012 for conventional). The seasonal changes in vitamin C content are larger than the differences between organically labeled and conventionally grown broccoli.
This investigation follows seminal work on nutrient degradation as the authors seek to quantify how much vitamin C, as a marker of nutrient quality, is retained at various stages of processing (frozen, steamed, trayline and delivery) of peas at two New Jersey hospitals. Healthcare providers use nutrient data standards provided by various national and international government and nongovernment agencies. Physicians, dietitians and menu planners rely on these values for nutritional therapy. We found that the current methodology for predicting nutritional outcomes of cooked foods in hospitals may not be reliable in assessing nutrients served to patients. Sampled peas were found to contain significantly (P < 0.05 for both Hospitals A and B) less vitamin C compared with the published standard value (‘cooked’) for vitamin C. In Hospitals A and B, the nutrient quality of vitamin C was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) as peas progressed to patients. As improved nutritional status has been shown to correlate with faster healing and recovery, thus reduced hospital stays, we recommend that hospitals use improved cooking methods to reduce the loss of nutrients in foods served to patients. Vegetables in particular should be cooked for the briefest period of time or at the lowest temperature that ensures safety.
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