CANNING/Quality Changes During Canning 845

cans are packed in cardboard outers to prevent
damage to the cans during transport and handling,
and also as a convenient package for the supermarket.
Storage of Canned Food in the Home
0041 Canned food should be stored in a dry cupboard.
Most canned food is safe for at least 2 years, but
care should be taken to use the oldest cans first.
Stock rotation is important at home as well as in the
Both physical and chemical changes occur during
processing and, to a lesser extent, during storage,
and it is these that determine the product quality in
terms of its sensory properties and nutrient content.
These changes, which can be either desirable or un-
desirable, are influenced by the time and temperature
of the process, the composition and properties of the
food, the canning medium, and the conditions of
storage.
This article will consider the changes that can occur 0002

supermarket. during canning and their effect on the quality of the

See also: Canning: Principles; Curing; Fish: Processing;
Meat: Slaughter; Preservation of Food
Further Reading
Arthey D and Ashurst PR (eds) (2000) Fruit Processing, 2nd
edn. London: Blackie Academic and Professional.
Arthey D and Dennis C (1991) Vegetable Processing. Glas-
gow: Blackie.
Downing DL (1996) A Complete Course in Canning and
Related Processes, Book III, Processing Procedures for
Canned Food Products, 13th edn. Timonium, Mary-
land, USA: CTI Publications Inc.
Hersom AC and Hulland ED (1980) Canned Foods – Ther-
mal Processing and Microbiology, 7th edn. Edinburgh:
Churchill Livingstone.
Lopez A (1987) A Complete Course in Canning, 12th edn.
Baltimore: Canning Trade.
Quality Changes During
product.
Changes in the Sensory Properties of
Foods
The sensory properties of a food, its flavor, color, and 0003
texture can all be affected by thermal processing.
Changes in these properties may be in the form of
direct effects of heat on food constituents (e.g., starch
gelatinization, protein denaturation, and cell separ-
ation; see Table 1) or through heat-induced reactions
such as the Maillard reaction. Significant changes in
all three sensory properties can also be brought about
by oxidation reactions that can occur, not only during
processing, but also on subsequent storage of the
canned product.
Oxidation reactions in fruits and vegetables occur 0004
mainly during preparation prior to processing, due to
the effects of oxidative enzymes. Heat treatments,
such as blanching prior to canning and the steriliza-
tion process itself, cause inactivation of these
enzymes. Along with the low oxygen tensions in
canned products, this limits oxidation in all but the
most oxygen-sensitive constituents.

Canning
Table 1 The effect of heat processing on sensory quality tbl0001
R J Pither, Campden & Chorleywood Food Research
Association, Gloucestershire, UK Chemical/physicalreactions or Impact on sensory
changes occurring attribute
Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Flavor
Volatile loss (scalping oxidation) Loss of flavor
Volatile formation
Introduction Maillard Roasted flavor, bitterness
Oxidation Rancidity
0001 Canned foods are a significant component of the diet Pyracaines Roasted flavor
of most individuals in developed countries, offering Texture
food in a convenient form with year-round availabil- Cell membrane damage Loss of crispness
ity. The canning process relies on heat treatment for Cell separation Loss of firmness
Protein denaturation Gelling, firming
the destruction of microorganisms and preservation
Starch gelatinization Gelling
of the food, which is then generally considered to Color
have an indefinite microbiological shelf-life providing Natural pigment breakdown Bleaching
that pack integrity is maintained. The extent of the Loss of color
thermal processing, in terms of both temperature and Maillard reactions Browning
Others, e.g., metals and polyphenolic Discoloration
duration of the treatment, is dependent upon the
compounds
chemical and physical composition of the product.
 846 CANNING/Quality Changes During Canning
Flavor Changes
0005 The flavor of food can be retained, modified, or,
occasionally, significantly changed during heat pro-
cessing, with most of the changes seen occurring in
the volatile flavor components.
Lipid Oxidation
0006 Lipids occur in almost all foodstuffs, particularly
meat and fish products, and lipid oxidation can there-
fore occur during canning of most foods. Saturated
fatty acids are relatively stable at the temperatures
used in standard canning operations. However, un-
saturated fats are degraded, under the conditions of
oxygen and heat, to a large number of volatile com-
pounds, which give rise to both desirable and undesir-
able flavors. (See Fatty Acids: Properties; Oxidation
of Food Components.)
0007 The first stage of the oxidation reaction involves
uptake of oxygen in the presence of catalysts, such
as transition metals and hemoproteins, and is initi-
ated by heat or light. Highly reactive hydroperoxides
are formed, which undergo secondary reactions
giving rise to a complex mixture of low molecular
compounds, including aldehydes, ketones, alcohols,
acids, alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes. A certain level
of volatile compounds is generally considered
necessary to give characteristic odor and flavor prop-
erties to many foods, but as many of the volatile
compounds give rise to typical rancid or stale off-
flavors, an ideal balance needs to be achieved in
the food.
Maillard Reaction
0008 In foodstuffs, reactions that occur between reducing
sugars and amino acids or proteins are known as
Maillard reactions. A very important aspect of
the Maillard reaction in food preparation is the
production of flavors and aromas. The rate of Mail-
lard reaction increases with temperature, although
pH and water content also influence the reaction.
The Maillard reaction can be split into three main
stages. The first is a condensation reaction between
the carbonyl group of a reducing carbohydrate and
the free amino group of an amino acid or protein,
followed by rearrangement of the glycosylamines.
These early Maillard reactions can lead to losses in
protein quality but do not give rise to flavors in the
food.
0009 The second stage, the advanced Maillard reactions,
involve many complex reactions and pathways.
The rearranged glycosylamines can degrade via a
multiplicity of routes, including dehydration,
elimination, cyclization, fission, and fragmentation,
which results in a pool of flavor intermediates and
flavor compounds being formed. The flavors
produced by the Maillard reaction can be classified
into four main groups, nitrogen heterocyclics and
cyclic enolenes, which give characteristic flavors
to heated foods, and monocarbonyls and poly-
carbonyls, which include more volatile supple-
mentary flavors not necessarily associated with
product characteristics.
The final stage of the Maillard reaction is the poly- 0010
merization of the highly reactive compounds formed
in the second stage, which results in the formation of
brown melanoidin pigments.
Most Maillard reaction products contribute highly 0011
desirable flavors to heated foods such as bread, toast,
cereal products, and meat. These flavors are often
described as baked, nutty, roasted, caramel, and
burnt, but even these can be considered to be off-
flavors in certain other foods, e.g., the burnt caramel
taste in heat processed milk.
Taints
Other types of off-flavor in canned foods can be caused 0012
by contamination of the product leading to an undesir-
able taint. One particularly unpleasant taint that has
been found in a range of foods is the ‘catty taint.’ This is
caused by a heat-dependent reaction between natural
sulfur-containing compounds of the food and unsatur-
ated ketones, such as mesityl oxide, which are wide-
spread in many solvent-based products.
Examples of causes of catty taint in processed meat 0013
products include: meat that has been stored in a cold
store painted with a material containing mesityl oxide
as a solvent contaminant, ox tongues that have been
hung on hooks coated with a protective oil, and pork
packed in cans where the side seam lacquer has been
dissolved in an impure solvent. Catty taint has also
been a problem in canned rice pudding, where the dye
used for printing on the rice sacks contained traces of
mesityl oxide, which was picked up by the rice and
reacted with the trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide in
the milk during processing.
Texture
Canning can bring about both desirable and undesir- 0014
able changes in texture of foods, primarily through
starch gelatinization, protein denaturation, and
pectin changes.
Starch Gelatinization
Starch gelatinization commences at a range of tem- 0015
peratures dependent on the type of starch, i.e., pro-
portions of amylose and amylopectin present, and the
availability of water. The two components of starch

behave differently on canning, with amylose giving an
opaque solution that sets to a firm gel on cooling and
with amylopectin forming a translucent paste that
remains fluid when cooled. The swelling of the starch
granules during canning or other heat processes
causes cellular disruption, which, together with the
starch gelatinization, gives a softening in texture and
increased palatability to the product. During canning
of vegetables, starch can often be leached into the
brine making it viscous or turbid, e.g., in mature
canned peas. (See Starch: Structure, Properties, and
Determination.)
Pectin Changes
0016 Canning of plant materials can lead to loss of semi-
permeability of cell membranes, and solubilization
and breakdown of pectic substances in the cell walls
and middle lamellae. The resultant cell separation
leads to a loss of crispness and a softening of the
product. This is generally a desirable effect, improv-
ing the palatability of foods, but overprocessing can
lead to excessive softening of fruits and vegetables.
Low-temperature blanching (* 70  C) of fruits and
vegetables can cause firming, due to enzymic
demethylation of pectins followed by calcium bridges
forming across the liberated carboxylate groups. (See
Pectin: Properties and Determination.)
Protein Denaturation
0017 Application of heat in meat canning causes protein
denaturation, which leads to changes in texture. The
hydrogen bonds maintaining the secondary and
higher structure of the protein rupture and form into
a predominantly random coil configuration, which
affects the solubility, elasticity, and flexibility of the
proteins. The sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins
in meat coagulate during heat processing, resulting in
a firming of the texture, while the collagen proteins
become more soluble, softening as they take up water.
The resultant texture of canned meat is similar to that
of conventionally cooked products.
Struvite
0018 Canned seafood products such as tuna, salmon, and
shrimps can occasionally contain small crystalline
fragments of magnesium ammonium phosphate,
commonly known as struvite. Struvite is formed
during the canning process by the union of mineral
elements that occur naturally in the flesh of seafood.
0019 The formation of struvite is a rare event that
appears to occur sporadically. Although struvite has
no odor or taste and is harmless, it does resemble
broken glass and, therefore, is undesirable from the
consumer’s point of view.
CANNING/Quality Changes During Canning 847
Color
Color changes during canning can be brought about 0020
by the breakdown of natural pigments, by the pro-
duction of colors due to oxidation reactions, by the
Maillard reaction, and by interactions between
product constituents, e.g., metals and polyphenolic
compounds.
Chlorophyl
Chlorophyl pigments are present in all green vege- 0021
tables, but canning leads to breakdown with the as-
sociated color change from bright green to olive green
or brown. The chlorophyl is converted to pheophytin
by the loss of magnesium ions (Mg2þ), with heat
and low pH during processing greatly accelerating
this change. The addition of alkaline salts in the can-
ning liquor to maintain a pH of 6.2–7.0 and high-
temperature, short-time (HTST) processing have both
been used in canning to reduce chlorophyl degrad-
ation. (See Chlorophyl.)
Heme Pigments
The red coloration in meat is due to two heme pig- 0022
ments, hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in the
muscle tissue; as most of the blood is removed after
slaughter, the main pigment is myoglobin. Canning
causes oxidation of myoglobin to metmyoglobin,
which gives the typical brown color of cooked
meats. It is this reaction that is also the main cause
of color change on canning of dark fleshed fish, e.g.,
tuna and mackerel. Green discolorations can also
occur as a result of a reaction of myoglobin with
sulfur compounds.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are fat-soluble, highly unsaturated red, 0023
orange, or yellow pigments that are susceptible to
oxidation and isomerization under the conditions of
heat and low pH, such as those used during the
canning process.
Carotenoids are generally found complexed with 0024
either proteins or fatty acids, which protect them
from oxidation. It is the breakdown of these com-
plexes during processing that leads to degradation of
the carotenoids resulting in bleaching or discolor-
ation of the product.
In crustaceans, the denaturation of carotenopro- 0025
tein on heating releases the carotenoid astaxanthin,
which causes a change in color from natural blue–
grey to pinky red. Two types of isomerization, cis–
trans and epoxide, can also occur, giving rise to a
slight lightening in color in canned fruits, e.g., pine-
apple. (See Carotenoids: Occurrence, Properties, and
Determination.)
 848 CANNING/Quality Changes During Canning

Anthocyanins consequence. However, in white fish, such discolor-

ation is a major problem, and for this reason, white
0026 Anthocyanins are water-soluble, red–violet pigments
fish is not routinely canned. Canning of milk can also
that can take part in a wide range of reactions during
lead to a brown tint, although cream is less affected.
canning. A combination of heat and oxygen can lead
to the hydrolysis of the glycosidic bonds, resulting Betalains
in loss of color and formation of yellow or brown
precipitates, but a low pH gives rise to greater color Betalains are water-soluble and split into two main 0035

stability. Aldehydes, produced by the breakdown of
sugars during canning, and ascorbic acid both accel-
erate the breakdown of the anthocyanins. These color
losses are a particular problem in canned red fruits,
e.g., strawberries.
0027 Anthocyanins can also be produced, as a result of
excessive thermal processing, from leucoanthocyani-
dins, giving rise to defects such as red gooseberries
groups, red betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins.
The most important pigment in this group is betanin,
the red pigment in beetroot which is often used as a
natural colorant. Betanin is susceptible to oxidation
during canning, which leads to a loss of color, al-
though this is often not noticeable due to the large
amount present.
The occurrence of a black ring discoloration in 0036

and pink pears. (See Phenolic Compounds.)
Tin and Iron
0028 Both desirable and undesirable color effects can occur
in canned goods due to reactions involving metal ions.
0029 Tin coating of the internal can surface produces a
chemically reducing environment, which minimizes
oxidation and helps prevent color and flavor degrad-
canned beetroot is due to enzymatic oxidation of
polyphenols that occur during steam peeling, and
not to betalain reactions.
Changes in Nutritional Properties of
Foods
Both physical and chemical changes can occur during 0037

the canning of food, which may affect its nutritional

ation in certain products, e.g., tomato-based products
status (Table 2). As well as damage to heat-labile
and asparagus. Asparagus canned in a lacquered can
may develop a dark discoloration due to the forma-
tion of a complex between rutin (a flavanol glycoside)
Table 2 The effect of heat processing on the major nutritional tbl0002
and iron, whereas even partial exposure to tin, such components
as one plain can end, will retain product color.
0030 Certain anthocyanin pigments can form metal com- Nutrient Effect
plexes with tin and iron produced through internal Water Loss of total solids into canning liquor
can corrosion, causing pink discoloration, especially Dilution
in pears and peaches, and bluing of red fruits. Dehydration
0031 Current UK legislation limits the level of tin in Proteins Enzymic inactivation
Loss of certain essential amino acids
canned foods to 200 mg kg1. Tin can cause short-
Loss of digestibility
term gastric irritation and nausea, but it is not Improved digestibility
absorbed by the gut in significant quantities, and Carbohydrates Starch gelatinization and
there is no evidence of any long-term or cumulative increased digestibility
toxic effects. No apparent change in
content of carbohydrate
Dietary fiber Generally no loss of
Maillard Reaction
physiological value
0032 The Maillard reaction, the principles of which are Lipids Conversion of cis fatty acids
to trans fatty acids
discussed earlier in this article, can cause off-colors,
Loss of essential fatty acid activity
particularly browning on canning of a wide variety of Water-soluble vitamins Large losses of vitamins C and
products. B1 due to leaching and
0033 Color compounds can be grouped into two general heat degradation
classes, low-molecular-weight compounds and the mel- Increased bioavailability of
biotin and nicotinic acid due to
anoidins, which have much higher molecular masses.
enzyme inactivation
0034 The browning of navy beans in tomato sauce is Fat-soluble vitamins Mainly heat-stable
primarily due to the formation of melanoidins Losses due to oxidation of lipids
through the Maillard reaction. Melanoidins are also Minerals Losses due to leaching
partly responsible for the browning effect seen in Possible increase in sodium and
calcium levels by uptake
canned apricots. Browning during canning of dark
from canning liquor
flesh fish such as mackerel and tuna is of little

nutrients and physical loss of nutrients due to leach-
ing, there are many reactions that occur on canning
that affect the availability of nutrients within the
foodstuff and therefore their usefulness to the body.
0038 If comparing the nutritive value of canned foods
with that of fresh foods, it is also important to con-
sider any changes that occur during conventional
preparation and cooking techniques.
Moisture
0039 The movement of water and solids during canning
can cause major changes in the nutritional status of
the foodstuff. If the complete can contents are con-
sumed, these changes can be largely disregarded, but
in products where the canning liquor is discarded, the
effects of dilution, dehydration, and loss of total
solids must be taken into consideration. Dilution or
dehydration will affect the relative proportions of
other constituents in the food, while soluble nutrients
can be leached into the liquor.
Proteins
0040 Heating of proteins, as in canning, causes denatur-
ation, i.e., rupturing of the hydrogen bonds and other
noncovalent bonds, leading to changes in the
conformation of the protein. The degree of protein
denaturation depends on the level of heat treatment
applied, but it can also be caused by oxidation and
reaction with other food constituents, e.g., reducing
sugars and lipid oxidation products. The total level of
crude protein is generally unaffected by canning, but
both desirable and undesirable changes can occur in
its nutritive quality and availability. Mild heating of
proteins leads only to changes in tertiary structure,
which have little nutritional effect, although there is
usually a loss in solubility. More severe heating, as in
canning of vegetables, results in the Maillard reaction
and the consequent loss in protein quality. These
reactions occur mainly between lysine and sugars
and cause a loss in availability of lysine, through
cross-linking, with a loss of up to 40% being seen
on canning of potatoes. Canning of meat also leads to
the reduction in availability of lysine and other essen-
tial sulfur containing amino acids and can lead to a
reduction in the digestibility of the meat. (See Protein:
Chemistry; Functional Properties.)
0041 The losses in protein availability that occur under
normal canning conditions are, however, quite small
and not nutritionally significant for most people in
developed countries, as lysine is rarely the limiting
amino acid in the diet. Canning can, in fact, lead to
improved protein availability and digestibility by
denaturing antidigestive factors and by denaturing
proteins. Some examples of advantageous effects of
heat processing are mentioned below.
CANNING/Quality Changes During Canning 849
Heating of milk results in the proteins being 0042
precipitated by stomach acids as finely dispersed
particles, making attack by digestive enzymes more
effective than in raw milk. This can also enhance
the formation of disulfide bonds, e.g., between b-
lactoglobulin and K-casein, which leads to greater
stability of the normally unstable b-lactoglobulin.
The canning of legumes improves their digestibility
by unfolding the major seed globulins, as well as
increasing nutritional availability by inactivation of
trypsin inhibitors.
Lipids
The nutritive value of the fat content of foods is not 0043
generally significantly altered during normal heat
processing. Hydrolysis reactions can occur, resulting
in separation of the fatty acids from the glycerol unit,
but this does not adversely affect the nutritional value
of the fat as the resulting free fatty acids are available
for digestion.
Saturated lipids are relatively stable, but unsatur- 0044
ated lipids are prone to oxidation when heated in the
presence of oxygen or air. The exclusion of oxygen or
use of antioxidants prevents the oxidation of lipids
during canning, so that losses in the nutritional value
of fats are unlikely to be significant. It is worth con-
sidering the effects of lipid oxidation, however, as any
contact with oxygen during the history of the food
can be sufficient for oxidation reactions to occur.
The major effect of lipid oxidation is related to the 0045
flavor of food, but it can also result in the conversion
of cis fatty acids to trans fatty acids. The nutritional
value in terms of energy is similar for the two fatty
acid types, but the trans fatty acids do not generally
possess essential fatty acid activity. The availability
of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E, as well as
vitamin C and folate, can also be reduced during
lipid oxidation.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates have numerous characteristic proper- 0046
ties, and the effects of canning are therefore varied.
The levels of total and available carbohydrates have
been found to be largely unaffected during canning of
fruit and vegetables. In general, the effects of canning
on carbohydrates are related not directly to their
nutritional value but to their interaction with other
food constituents and to the overall eating quality of
the foodstuff.
Losses on canning can be caused by reducing 0047
sugars reacting with protein through the Maillard
reaction, which also causes a loss in availability of
certain amino acids.
Gelatinization of the starch granules improves the 0048
texture and, thereby, palatability of the food; it also
 850 CANNING/Quality Changes During Canning

aids the digestibility of some foods (e.g., potatoes, Vitamins

rice) that are largely indigestible in the raw state.
0049 The other major constituent of carbohydrate in
food is the indigestible dietary fiber, which consists
mainly of cellulose. Cellulose and other polysac-
charides, i.e., hemicelluloses and pectins, are largely
responsible for the texture and structure of plant
foods.
0050 Canning appears to have little effect on total diet-
ary fiber levels, but the exact effects of canning on the
various constituents of dietary fiber and the effect of
heat-induced fiber breakdown are not fully known.
(See Carbohydrates: Classification and Properties;
Dietary Fiber: Properties and Sources.)
Minerals
0051 Total mineral levels are not generally adversely
affected by the canning process as they are relatively
stable under conditions of heat, acid, or alkali
(Table 3). However, minerals are susceptible to
changes in bioavailability due to interactions with
other food components. The bioavailability of iron
can be enhanced during canning in the presence of
vitamin C, or reducing sugars with which it forms
available complexes. Both oxalates (which occur nat-
urally in many acidic plants) and phytates (from
cereals) can inhibit calcium bioavailability.
0052 The major changes that can occur in mineral levels
on canning are caused by movement between the
foodstuff and the canning liquor. Certain minerals,
especially sodium and calcium, can be taken up by the
food from the canning liquor; this can be seen espe-
cially during the canning of vegetables in brine. Min-
erals can also be leached out from the foodstuff into
the canning liquor. Potassium is particularly prone to
leaching with losses of between 15 and 50% seen on
canning of vegetables. Zinc, manganese, and cobalt
are also susceptible to leaching.
0053 No further substantial changes in sodium or cal-
cium levels are seen on storage of canned vegetables,
Most vitamins are unstable under conditions of heat 0054
and are susceptible to loss during the canning process
(Table 4). The fat-soluble vitamins are generally more
stable than the water soluble vitamins, but losses can
occur during canning due to oxidation. Carotenoids
are particularly prone to oxidation during heat pro-
cessing, but this can be greatly reduced by the add-
ition of antioxidants, e.g., vitamin C.
Losses of water soluble vitamins during canning 0055
can be quite considerable, with vitamin C being the
most labile. Vitamin C can be lost through the
following processes: (1) oxidation, which can occur
in the early stages of heat treatment before the ascor-
bic oxidase is inactivated; (2) chemical degradation,
e.g., losses due to nonenzymatic browning reactions
in fruit products with high vitamin C levels; or (3)
through leaching into the canning liquor, which is
generally the major cause of vitamin C loss in canned
fruits and vegetables. The levels of vitamin C
remaining in canned vegetables have been shown to
be as low as 20% of the vitamin C found in the fresh
raw produce; however, vitamin C is lost during all
stages of fresh storage, preparation, cooking, or pro-
cessing, and some canned vegetables have levels of
vitamin C similar to the fresh product, which has
been stored prior to cooking (Table 5). Thiamin (vita-
min B1) is the most heat-sensitive of the B vitamins,
especially under alkaline conditions and in the pres-
ence of bisulfite ions. Thermal degradation of thiamin
involves the cleavage of its methylene bridge, which
gives rise to many volatile products, producing a
meat-like aroma in cooked foods. In the presence of
reducing sugars, thiamine may take part in nonenzy-
matic browning reactions, and it also reacts with
aldehydes in the presence of ascorbic acid. Thiamin
can also be lost through leaching, but it is less soluble
than vitamin C, and retention levels of between 60
and 90% are usual on canning.
Folic acid is lost on canning through heat degrad- 0056

but slight further leaching of potassium and zinc does ation and oxidation, although it is stabilized in
occur. the presence of ascorbic acid, whereas pyridoxine

tbl0003 Table 3 Mineral content in freshly cooked and canned cooked

Table 4 Vitamin losses on canning of vegetables tbl0004
peas on a wet-weight basis
Vitamin Typicallosses (%)
Mineral (mg per100 g)
Sample Ca Na K Zn Fe Vitamin C 30–90
Thiamin 16–83
Fresh 48 65 179 0.82 1.4 Riboflavin 20–70
Zero time canned 47 320 152 1.0 1.4 Nicotinic acid 20–70
Canned stored Folic acid 30–80
3 months 40 315 79 0.72 1.3 Panthothenic acid 30–85
6 months 31 82 0.44 0.9 Vitamin B6 30–90
9 months 28 295 84 0.53 1.5 Biotin 0–80
12 months 280 108 0.55 1.2 Vitamin A 0–80

tbl0005 Table 5 Vitamin C content of fresh and canned peas and carrots (mg per 100 g)
Carrots
Uncooked Cooked
Fresh 9 8
Stored for 7 days at ambient 3 4
Canned 2 3
Canned, stored for 6 months 2 2
Canned, stored for 12 months 2 3
(vitamin B6) can be lost through heat degradation and
leaching. Losses of these two vitamins during canning
of fruits and vegetables range between 30 and 80%.
Losses on canning of meat can be very considerable,
with up to 90% losses.
0057 Riboflavin (vitamin B2) and nicotinic acid are both
relatively heat-stable, with minimal losses on canning
of meat products; however, losses of between 20 and
50% have been found on storage of canned meats.
Losses seen during the canning of fruits and vege-
tables, ranging from 25 to 70%, are mainly attributed
to leaching. Nicotinic acid and riboflavin both show
very high retention levels during milk processing,
but riboflavin is lost from bottled milk as it is very
sensitive to sunlight.
0058 Heat processing generally has a detrimental effect
on most vitamin levels, but mild heating conditions
can have a beneficial effect due to enzyme inactiva-
tion and the breakdown of binding agents, which
increases the bioavailability of certain vitamins, e.g.,
biotin and nicotinic acid.
Conclusions
0059 The canning of foods has resulted in a wider choice of
nutritious, good-quality foods being available all year
round in a convenient form for the consumer. Al-
though, with better global links and improved agron-
omy, many foods are now available fresh all year
round, canned foods still form an important part of
the food marketplace.
0060 When considering the quality of canned foods, it is
important to compare them with fresh or frozen
foods at the point of consumption. Many of the
changes that occur in both sensory and nutritional
aspects do so during any thermal process, whether
it is conventional cooking, blanching, or canning.
Canola See Rape Seed Oil/Canola
CANNING/Quality Changes During Canning 851
Garden peas
Uncooked Cooked Pea canningliquor
30 16
17 16
20 12 11
15 2 10
8 5 5
For most foods, the canning process replaces a
conventional cooking process, and any mild reheating
stage has no further significant effect on quality.
Losses in heat-labile nutrients such as vitamins can 0061
be significant. However, as canned products are usu-
ally produced from materials at optimum maturity
and immediately after harvest, levels can often be as
high as the ‘fresh’ material purchased from the green-
grocers and prepared in the home.
See also: Dietary Fiber: Properties and Sources; Fatty
Acids: Properties; Oxidation of Food Components;
Pectin: Properties and Determination; Phenolic
Compounds; Starch: Structure, Properties, and
Determination
Further Reading
Bender AE (1978) Food Processing and Nutrition. London:
Academic Press.
Hall MN, Edwards MC, Murphy MC and Pither RJ (1989)
Technical Memorandum No. 553. CFDRA. A Compari-
son of the Composition of Canned, Frozen and Fresh
Garden Peas as Consumed. Chipping Campden:
CCFRA.
Harris RS and Kamas E (eds) (1988) Nutritional Evaluation
of Food Processing, 3rd edn. West port, CT: AVI.
Lund D (1982) Effect of processing on nutrient content and
nutritional value of food. In: Heat Processing.
Moyem T and Kvale O (eds) (1977) Physical, Chemical and
Biological Changes in Food Caused by Thermal Process-
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