Impact of packaging material and storage condition on retention of provitamin A carotenoids and xanthophylls in yellow-seeded maize flour

Abstract

Pro-vitamin A carotenoid (pVAC) rich foods are those foods that contain substance which can be converted within the human body into retinol, and which contribute to the reduction of vitamin A deficiency diseases. Yellow-seeded maize flour is an example of such pVAC rich food. Identifying the right packaging materials and storage conditions that retain pVAC in this food is essential for their health benefits. Traditionally, maize flour is stored in different packaging materials to increase its shelf life. For instance, previous studies have shown that during storage in different food matrices, including maize grains, carotenoids are highly susceptible to degradation by temperature, light, and oxygen. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of storage packaging materials (polypropylene woven sacks-PWS, high-density polyethylene bags-HDPE, and polyvinyl plastic containers-PPC) and storage condition (temperature and relative humidity) on retaining pVAC in yellow-seed maize flour.