comparison of flavonoids, carotenoids and vitamin C in commercial organic and conventional marinara pasta sauce

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 88; no. 2; pp. 344 - 354
• Main Authors: Koh, Eunmi, Wimalasiri, Kuruppa MS, Renaud, Erica NC, Mitchell, Alyson E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 30.01.2008; Wiley; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: ascorbic acid; Biological and medical sciences; carotenoids; Comparative analysis; conventional; flavonoids; food composition; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; kaempferol; lycopene; marinara sauce; nutrient content; organic; organic foods; Pasta; pasta sauce; Phytochemicals; Pigments; quercetin; tomato; tomato sauce; Vitamin C; vitamin content; Vegetables; Ascorbic acid; carotenoids; Kaempferol; Vitamin; Tomato; Flavonoid; Lycopene; Polyphenol; conventional; Sauce; Quercetin; Pigments; pasta sauce; flavonoids; Carotenoid; organic
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.3097

BACKGROUND: Characterising the levels of key phytochemicals in foods commonly consumed in the Western diet is critical for database development, estimating intake and assessing the potential health benefits associated with the consumption of these products. This paper describes a market-basket evaluation of the key flavonoids, carotenoids and vitamin C in commercial organic (five brands) and conventional (five brands) marinara pasta sauces.RESULTS: Levels of ascorbic acid ranged from undetected up to 6.87 mg per 100 g fresh weight. The levels of total vitamin C in six of the ten samples were significantly lower than the amount listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel (P < 0.001 or P < 0.01). The contents of total vitamin C, flavonoids and lycopene were not statistically different between organic and conventional samples. Conventional pasta sauces demonstrated a significantly higher level of all-trans-β-carotene (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: This suggests that any beneficial differences in levels of flavonoids, carotenoids and vitamin C gained through cultivation practices are not measurable at the consumer level in processed tomato products. Additionally, the results point to a large disparity between the actual vitamin C content of these products and the content listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry