ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT OF BROCCOLI DURING MARKETING1

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Fresh California‐grown broccoli from eastern wholesale markets, retail stores and simulated consumer storage was analyzed for total ascorbic acid, L‐ascorbic acid (AA) and dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA). Highest concentrations of AA were found in the buds of broccoli sampled from wholesale markets. During the course of marketing stems retained AA better than the buds. The differences in AA concentrations between retail and stored samples were significant only with the buds. Wide deviations in the AA content of broccoli were found within store samples and among samples from different marketing periods but not among stores. Dehydroascorbic acid comprised only a small amount of the total AA, indicating that AA content is an accurate indicator of broccoli's total vitamin C content during handling and storage.