Vitamin C, CAS registry number 50-81-7, INS 300, is also known as L-ascorbic acid, ascorbate, or ascorbate monoanion & exists in the enolic form of an α-ketolactone.
It is water soluble & owes its physiological antioxidant action due its tremendous reducing action by acting as singlet oxygen quencher & capable of regenerating vitamin E.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant due to its unique ability to quench or stabilize free radicals that are generated over a period of time due to illness, lifestyle or degenerative diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, etc.
Coated Vitamin C
However, ascorbic acid properties are not fully exploitable due to its high reactivity, thus very poor stability in solution form. This results in decreased concentrations while processing of foods. Vitamin C is degraded rapidly in the presence of oxygen, free radicals as well as other oxidative processes. The processes are strongly catalysed by transition metal ions, especially iron & copper, leading to rapid destruction of the ascorbate anion. Oxidation of vitamin c is also accelerated at neutral pH and above & its destruction occurs in presence of enzymes like ascorbate oxidase and α-ascorbate peroxidase.
The food industry thus uses microencapsulated vitamin C to produce foods which are more nutritionally compliant & complete.
The properties of microencapsulated vitamin C allows the food processor greater flexibility & control in developing foods with high nutritional value.
Ascorbic acid is added extensively to many types of food products for two quite different purposes :
Many technical products & processes also utilize coated vitamin C.
Microencapsulated Vitamin C in dry form is used for incorporation into cake mixes, puddings, gelatine desserts, chewing gum, milk powder, jellies, pet foods, breakfast cereals & those products which have low water activity.
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