Which storage method leads to vitamin C gradually decreasing and inhibits enzymatic activity, reducing deterioration?

• A. Vacuum packing
• B. Cold storage
• C. AFP/sterilisation
• D. Boiling

Answer: (B)

Keeping foods in cold storage slows down enzyme activity and other chemical reactions that cause nutrients like vitamin C to break down. Vitamin C is sensitive to heat and oxidants, so at lower temperatures the kinetic energy of molecules decreases, enzymes work more slowly, and microbial growth is reduced. This combination preserves vitamin C for longer and results in a gradual decline rather than a rapid loss. Vacuum packing reduces oxygen exposure, which helps limit oxidation, but it doesn’t directly suppress enzyme activity as effectively as cold storage. Sterilisation and boiling involve high heat that rapidly destroys vitamin C, not gradually.