Effects of oxygen on quality and ascorbic acid retention in canned and frozen orange juices

Abstract

A quantitative study has been made of changes in oxygen content, ascorbic acid content, flavour and colour during the processing and storage of pasteurised and frozen orange juices. By means of a gas‐saturation procedure, the juices were canned with initial oxygen contents ranging from about 3.5% to less than 0.002%. In frozen juices stored at o° F the presence of free oxygen in the cans for at least one year permitted slow oxidative loss of ascorbic acid. In pasteurised juices stored at 86° F, oxidative destruction of ascorbic acid occurred only during the first few days, since free oxygen rapidly disappeared from the cans. Throughout subsequent storage anaerobic loss of ascorbic acid continued at a rate about one‐tenth of that in the early period. Anaerobic reactions also contributed to flavour changes in pasteurised orange juices since complete removal of oxygen failed to retard the development of stale flavour at 86° F.

Time and Temperature Effect on Stability of Moroccan Processed Orange Juice during Storage

“…Kefford et al (1959) also showed that the relation between log (vitamin C content) and time was not linear.…”

Effect of Storage, Oxygen and Concentration on the Levels of Key Volatiles in Processed Orange Juice

“…The removal of oxygen does help stabilize the levels of flavor volatiles during processing, but does not help their retention during storage (Kefford et al . ). Despite most volatiles decreasing as a result of storage, the volatiles ( E )‐2‐nonenal, 1‐propanol, 2‐butenal, 2‐pentanone, 3‐methylbutanal and pentanal, acetic acid and butanone did not change significantly (Tables and ).…”

“…Frozen juices stored for 112 days at −18C showed significant differences between juices stored in the presence of oxygen and juices that were not (Kefford et al . ). Samples that were not exposed to oxygen had a better sensory profile than samples that were exposed to oxygen.…”

Effect of Initial Dissolved Oxygen Levels on the Degradation of Ascorbic Acid and the Browning of Lemon Juice during Storage

“…However, caution must be used in drawing conclusions from such work and applying them to liquid foods since the experimental conditions used may not be directly applicable to liquid food systems. Kefford et al (1959) concluded that complete removal of oxygen from orange juice improved the retention of ascorbic acid and flavor during processing but had little effect on the retention of these quality factors during storage in metal cans. Johnson and Toledo (1975) radation was rapid, the rate being retarded when headspace oxygen was reduced.…”