Vitamin C in frozen, fresh squeezed, unpasteurized, polyethylene-bottled orange juice: a storage study

A storage study of frozen, fresh squeezed, unpasteurized, polyethylene-bottled orange juice was conducted to determine vitamin C loss on a monthly basis over a period of 24 months. Vitamin C content declined from an initial value of 40.6 mg/100 ml to 32.8 mg/100 ml in the final analysis for a loss of 19.2% over the storage period. A regression analysis showed a decrease of about 0.34 mg/100 ml of the vitamin C per month at this condition. The estimated shelf-life of this juice to meet the label claim of vitamin C of 130% DV is about 22 months at −23°C.