Effect of Ultra-High Temperature Steam Injection Processing and Aseptic Storage on Labile Water-Soluble Vitamins in Milk

Whole milk standardized to 3.25% fat and 12.00% total solids was processed by UHT steam injection and aseptically packaged by a Tetra Pak AB3-250 into paper-foil laminate flexible containers with a gas barrier sealing strip to prevent gas exchange. Treatment involved heating normal and deaerated raw milk to 149C for 3.4 s and 138C for 20.3 s. Samples were stored at 24C. Raw milk and two samples from each treatment were analyzed for vitamins B2, B6, B12, C, and folic acid at intervals of 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 20 wk. The effects of thermal treatments and deaeration were negligible. The UHT processing for both thermal treatments and normal and deaerated milk averaged tl'ie following losses: 32.5% vitamin C, 17.9% vitamin B12, 12.5% folic acid, 3.4% vitamin B6, and 2.6% vitamin B2. Storage at room temperature for 20 wk resulted in a 100% loss of vitamin B12, 96% vitamin B6, 85% vitamin C, 32% folic acid, and negligible change for vitamin B2.