Functionality changes of natural antioxidants during food processing and storage

Abstract

Food raw materials and products contain inhibitors of oxidation reactions, both in the lipidic phase and the aqueous phase. The most important inhibitors are phenolic antioxidants. During food processing and storage, concentrations of antioxidants in the two phases reach an equilibrium. Phenolics react with lipidic free radicals, being converted into antioxidant free radicals, quinones, polymers and copolymers. Some degradation products possess an antioxidant activity, too. The relative antioxidant activity decreases with decreasing concentration of oxygen in the system and with increasing temperature. Antioxidants are more rapidly decomposed in surface layers. Health aspects of antioxidant degradation products are often neglected as the safety of antioxidant degradation products is mostly unknown.

Keywords

• antioxidants
• food technology
• food storage
• oxidation
• phenolics