THE EFFECT OF PRODUCTION AND STORAGE ON THE CONTENT OF VITAMIN C IN NFC ORANGE JUICE

The traditional consumption of citrus juices as a breakfast beverage has historical ties to obtaining one's daily requirement of vitamin C. Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins found in citrus juices, including orange juice. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of processing and storage on the content of vitamin C in orange juice varieties of 'Valencia' and 'Navel' of orange juice. The content of vitamin C (mg 100 g(-1)) was determined with the iodine method in freshly squeezed orange juices and in pasteurized and packaged in aseptic bags orange juices of 'Valencia' and 'Navel' variety, after processing and during 24 weeks of storage at 20 +/- 1 degrees C and 5 +/- 1 degrees C. The study results showed that the average content of vitamin C in freshly squeezed orange juice 'Valencia' was found at 33.56 mg 100g(-1) but in freshly squeezed orange juice 'Navel' the content of vitamin C was higher than in 'Valencia' variety orange juice average at 46.18 mg 100g(-1). The loss of vitamin C for both orange juices on average about 7% during processing The storage study showed that after 24 weeks of storage at 5 +/- 1 degrees C and at 20 +/- 1 degrees C, in pasteurized orange juice 'Valencia' the content of vitamin C decreased by 9.83% and 19.73 respectively. In the pasteurized orange juice 'Navel' the content of vitamin C decreased by 8.53% and 15.24% respectively.