COPPER(II) ASCORBATE - A NOVEL FOOD PRESERVATION SYSTEM

The addition of ascorbic acid (0.05-0.40%) and trace amounts of copper gluconate (10-65 ppm) to foods and beverages effectively removed oxygen dissolved in the food within 1-5 min and depleted the headspace oxygen within a few days. Unlike other cations tested, copper catalyzed ascorbate-mediated reduction of oxygen to water without the concomitant generation of hydroxyl radical and other activated oxygen species. Therefore, copper(II) ascorbate protected foods against lipid peroxidation, discoloration, and other oxidative damage. Furthermore, copper(II) ascorbate inhibited bacterial growth and thereby increased the microbiological stability of high-moisture foods.