Stability of ascorbic acid during apple processing

Abstract

The present study analyses the influence of different phases of the technological process for the fabrication of the product “grated apples for pie”, on the ascorbic acid content. Other related parameters have also been measured: some enzymes activities (ascorbate oxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase), pH, total acidity, dry weight and soluble dry matter. In order to analyse the content in ascorbic acid, we used three different methods: 2, 6 – dichlorophenolindophenol, reflectometrically (using Reflectoquant) and HPLC and the obtained results were very similar. The researches were conducted in two consecutive years, in same conditions and the experimental material was produced by Contec Foods Tecuci, Romania. Both years, we observed an important instability of the ascorbic acid during the technological steps.The decrease of the ascorbic acid content in the final product was about 96% reported to the raw material.