Effect of ascorbic acid addition to peppers on paprika quality

Abstract

The use of ascorbic acid addition to foods to protect pigments from oxidation has been widely applied. Control or ascorbic acid-added paprika peppers were processed in a similar way as for paprika manufacture. During the process, lipoxygenase activity, total colour, red/yellow pigment ratio and ascorbic acid levels were measured. In general, an increase of total colour and red pigments was observed in ascorbic acid-treated samples. The lipoxygenase activity was depressed in ascorbic acid-treated fruits on the first day of processing. However, the activity was increased again, at second day, when the ascorbic acid was oxidised, showing a close relationship between enzyme activity and the antioxidant. After the process, ascorbic acid was also added to half of the paprika from control peppers and its quality and stability of the pigments against light or heat was compared to the paprika from ascorbic acid-added peppers. At the end of the treatment a better quality was observed in paprika obtained from the ascorbic acid-added peppers. ©1997 SCI