Adequate Handling Conditions to Preserve Vitamin C and Carotenoids in Tomatoes

Abstract

Safe handling practices must be followed to minimize nutrient loss in fruits and vegetables. To evaluate such loss in tomatoes, storage and preparation practices were tested under storage at 10C and 24C (24 and 72 h), sanitization times (15, 45 and 75 min), type of cut (slices and cubes) and exposure time until consumption (0, 30 and 60 min). Ascorbic acid (AA), dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), lycopene andβ‐carotene were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Under refrigeration, AA retention was 8% higher during 24 h storage. DHA increased at room temperature and lycopene retention was lower under refrigeration temperature. No differences were verified between cutting methods and the exposure times used. Retention after the selected storage and processing conditions ranged from 78 to 86% for vitamin C, from 53 to 81% for lycopene and from 74 to 83% forβ‐carotene. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Vitamin C and carotenoids are recognized as important components of healthy diet. However, the processes to which vegetables are submitted from harvest to consumption can alter vitamin content. The adoption of safe handling practices can minimize vitamin C and carotenoids losses during preparation. When the extent of the losses is known and controlled, menus can be complemented to reach the recommended vitamin daily intake. This study investigated the influence of post harvesting handling practices (storage, sanitization, slicing and the period between cooking and consumption) to select the practices that would result in greatest vitamin C and carotenoid retention.

Spanish traditional tomato. Effects of genotype, location and agronomic conditions on the nutritional quality and evaluation of consumer preferences

“…Lycopene ranged from 29.03 to 64.95 mg/kg FW, and beta-carotene ranged from 1.37 to 6.41 mg/kg FW. The reported concentrations of lycopene and beta-carotene in tomato "Rosa de Barbastro" are in line with data from the literature (Campos, Chaves, De-Azeredo, Mata, & Pinheiro-Santana, 2010;Erba et al, 2013;Guil-Guerrero & Rebolloso-Fuentes, 2009;Hallmann et al, 2013;Kaur et al, 2013). It can be seen that in the Barbastro location, the lycopene content is higher when grown in the greenhouse than in the open field.…”

Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals Composition of Fresh Carrot-Cabbage Juice

“…This concentration is possibly due to the higher proportion of carrots in the juice. This is in line with the report of Compos et al [15] and Olalude et al [16] that, carrot juice has a high content of carotenoids which are mostly vitamin A precursors. The result found for vitamin A is however, less than 2.8 mg/100 g found by Olalude et al [16].…”

Evaluation of Physico-Chemical Properties of Some Mixture Juices

“…Orange (Citrus cinensis) is a widely consumed fruit, mainly used for its fresh flavour and it is a very good source of natural antioxidant and possess health benefits due to the presence of antioxidants like vitamin-C, Campos et al (2010).…”