Vitamins: Functions and applications in food processing

Modern food processing preserve food quality, controls food spoilage and disease-causing microorganisms, preserve desirable sensory qualities such as flavor, odor, texture, and appearance, preserve nutrients content, and in many case enhances the nutrient value as well.

Vitamins are organic compounds that are necessary in very small amounts for the maintenance of life. Most vitamins can be synthesize by the body and must be supplied by the diet. Vitamin functions in biochemical reactions within all living cells, and are necessary for metabolism.

Moreover, vitamins play an important role as functional additives in food processing. The chemical properties of certain vitamins provide significant functional benefits in processed foods.

The technical used for vitamins and their various application are as below.

• Antioxidants
• Colorants
• Inhibitions of can corrosion
• Protection of taste, flavor and clarity
• Prevention of black spot prevention
• Prevention of nitrosamine formation
• Flour dough improvement
• Maintenance of color in meat package in controlled atmosphere.

Vitamins: Functions and applications in food processing

Food processing and storage effect on water soluble vitamins

Certain vitamins are sensitive to processing and storage. Processing medium or the environment is a critical factor in influencing the stability or retention of water soluble vitamin. Generally, the water soluble vitamins especially thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin C , are more susceptible to losses due to leaching during washing and blanching.

Certain water soluble vitamin are susceptible to oxidation (thiamin and cobalamin), the processes are different from those for the fat soluble vitamins.

Tofu

Water soluble vitamins are generally more heat heat-sensitive than fat soluble vitamins. Vitamin C and thiamin are the most heat sensitive. Thiamin is extremely water soluble and destroyed by heat is much can be leached into the cooking or storing liquids during preparation of both meats and vegetables. Losses in the making of soy flour are minimal, but losses in the making of soy flour into tofu stored in water are 85% or greater.

Vitamins stable at acidic pHs include ascorbic acid, niacin, free folacin and thiamin. Biotin, thiamin, free folic acid, pantothenic acid and ascorbic acid are loss more readily at alkaline pHs.

Physical factors also contribute to the loss of vitamins during processing and storage. Electromagnetic radiation in the visible and near ultraviolet region is one such factor.

Folic acid is easily lost during storage of fresh vegetables at room temperature and through many heat processes. Oxidative destruction of 50-95% of the folate can occur with protracted cooking or canning. Riboflavin and niacin are both relatively stable on heat preservation, although riboflavin is very sensitive to light and will undergo degradation in the present of both heat and light together.
Food processing and storage effect on water soluble vitamins

Vitamins applications in food processing

The technical used for vitamins and their various applications are as below:
Antioxidants
With increasing awareness concerning the importance of antioxidants in health maintenance, particularly vitamin E, their retention through food processing and storage has been assuming an increasing importance. The antioxidant vitamins C and E frequently are utilized to prevent undesirable color changes and to retard the development of rancid flavor.

Colorants
Riboflavin (vitamin B2: provides a greenish lemon-yellow color) and beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A: provides an orange color) are utilized as natural coloring substances.

Inhibitions of can corrosion
Among functions of ascorbic acid are inhibition of can corrosion in canned soft drinks.

Protection of taste, flavor and clarity
 Other functions of ascorbic acid are protection of flavor and color of wine, prevention of black spot formation in shrimp, stabilization of cured meat color and dough improvement in baked goods.

Other applications of vitamins including:
Prevention of black spot prevention 
Prevention of nitrosamine formation 
Flour dough improvement 
Maintenance of color in meat package in controlled atmosphere
Vitamins applications in food processing