Influence of Homogenization, Copper, and Ascorbic Acid on Light-Activated Flavor in Milk

This study reports on some factors that influence light activated flavor induced in milk by exposure to fluorescent light under conditions that produced distinct light flavor with little or no lipid oxidation as measured by the thiobarbituric acid test. Homogenization increased susceptibility to light flavor, but decreased susceptibility to both copper-induced and light-blduced oxidized flavors. Both addition of copper, and of neocuproine to chelate natural copper, demonstrated that copper catalyzes light flavor. Destruction of ascorbie acid by ascorbie acid oxidase decreased susceptibility to light flavor, but added aseorbic acid did not inhibit light flavor, as it does oxidized flavor.