Effect of tomato juice storage on Vitamin C and phenolic compounds and their stability over one-year period

Abstract

The stability of bioactive components: vitamin C and phenols in thermally processed tomato juice for 12 months in three different storage conditions was studied. The experiment was carried out on thermally treated tomato juice made from a selected line of industrial tomatoes (SPO-109). Mashed tomato juice without skin and seeds was cooked for 7 min at 100oC. The samples were stored in the light at +20oC; in the dark at +20oC; and in the dark at +4oC. The measurement of the changes of the bioactive components parameters during 12 months of storage was performed at 2 month-intervals. Degradation of phenols was not significant for 12 months of storage. Different ambient conditions caused significant changes and loss of nutrients. Vitamin C was lost when stored in the light for the first two months of storage (30.35%), and after one year from 41.56% for storage in the dark at +20oC (24.58%), and 25.51% at +4oC. There was no difference in vitamin C content when stored in dark conditions at different temperatures, while significantly important differences were found between storing in the light and storing in the dark at + 20oC and + 4oC, respectively.