Handbook of Vitamin C Research

In: Handbook of Vitamin C Research ISBN: 978-1-60741-874-0Editors: Hubert Kucharski and Julek Zajac©2009 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.Expert CommentaryThe Importance of FoodProcessing on Vitamin C:Present and Future TrendsRui M. S. Cruz 1 , Margarida C. Vieira 2+ and Cristina L. M. Silva 11 CBQF/Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Rua Dr.António Bernardino de Almeida, Porto, Portugal2 Instituto Superior de Engenharia, Universidade do Algarve, Campus da Penha,Faro, PortugalAbstractConsumer demand for safer and nutritious food products has led to development andresearch of new processing technologies. Throughout the centuries, vitamin C has playedan important role in human nutrition due to its antioxidant effect and stimulation of theimmunological system. Nevertheless, since the human organism does not produce itsown vitamin C, it must be sourced from a regular diet or taken as a vitamin supplement.Besides its natural availability it is possible to find vitamin C in many different forms.The development of new food products formulations including vitamin C and newprocessing operations in order to retain vitamin content, are crucial for reaching outconsumers around the Globe, fulfilling dairy requirements and health benefits and thus,in a near future, contributing for the reduction of nutritional deficiencies.Vitamin C plays an important role in human nutrition due to its antioxidant effect andstimulation of the immunological system and is considered to be one of the important indicesof food quality. However, it is also one of the least stable vitamins, easily destroyed duringE-mails: rcruz@ualg.pt, clsilva@esb.ucp.pt+ E-mail: mvieira@ualg.pt