Effects of Blanching, Freezing and Canning on the Carbohydrates in Sweet Corn
Monica M. Whent,
Holly D. Childs,
Shawn Ehlers Cheang,
Jiani Jiang,
Devanand L. Luthria,
Michael R. Bukowski,
Carlito B. Lebrilla,
Liangli Yu,
Pamela R. Pehrsson,
Xianli Wu
Affiliations
Monica M. Whent
Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Holly D. Childs
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Shawn Ehlers Cheang
Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Jiani Jiang
Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Devanand L. Luthria
Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Michael R. Bukowski
Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Carlito B. Lebrilla
Department of Chemistry, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Liangli Yu
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Pamela R. Pehrsson
Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Xianli Wu
Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Sweet corn is frequently consumed in the US and contains carbohydrates as major macronutrients. This study examined the effects of blanching, freezing, and canning on carbohydrates in sweet corn. Fresh bi-color sweet corn was picked in the field and processed immediately into frozen and canned samples. Simple sugars, starch, and dietary fiber (DF) (including total DF (TDF), insoluble DF (IDF) and two fractions of soluble DF (SDF)) were measured according to the AOAC methods. Additional glycomic analysis including oligosaccharides, monosaccharide composition of total polysaccharides (MCTP) and glycosidic linkage of total polysaccharides (GLTP) were analyzed using UHPLC-MS. Sucrose is the major simple sugar, and IDF is the main contributor to TDF. Sucrose and total simple sugar concentrations were not altered after blanching or freezing but were significantly reduced in canned samples. Kestose was the only oligosaccharide identified in sweet corn and decreased in all heat-treated or frozen samples. Starch content decreased in frozen samples but increased in canned samples. While two SDF fractions did not differ across all samples, blanching, freezing and canning resulted in increases in TDF and IDF. Six monosaccharides were identified as major building blocks of the total polysaccharides from MCTP analysis. Glucose and total monosaccharide concentrations increased in two canned samples. GLTP was also profoundly altered by different food processing methods. This study provided insights into the changes in the content and quality of carbohydrates in sweet corn after food processing. The data are important for accurate assessment of the carbohydrate intake from different sweet corn products.
