Nonenzymatic Browning in Aseptically Packaged Orange Drinks: Effect of Ascorbic Acid, Amino Acids and Oxygen

Nonenzymatic browning of single strength orange juice and synthetic orange drinks containing 10% (v/v) orange juice has been studied under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The juice and drinks were aseptically packaged into two types of flexible film (retort pouch and polyethylene Whirl-Park) and stored at 20 wk at 24°C. Ascorbic acid retention was affected by the processing itself, the concentration of added amino acids, and by the packaging material. The effect of amino acids on browning was found to be linear with concentration and was more pronounced in the presence of high levels of ascorbic acid.