Spinach stays fresh under shop lighting
Source: Agencies |
March 5, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SUPERMARKET lights help keep spinach fresh and producing new vitamins, United States government researchers reported in the latest Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The surprising findings should apply to other fresh vegetables and may offer insights into how to keep produce fresher longer, the researchers reported.
They may also suggest ways to boost nutrients in fresh foods, said Gene Lester of the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. He said the idea for the experiment came to him when he was shopping.
Supermarkets often display fresh spinach in clear plastic containers at around 4 degrees Celsius under fluorescent light 24 hours a day. Lester wondered if this was good or bad for the leaves.
His team kept fresh spinach leaves in continuous light or dark for three to nine days.
Spinach kept under lights for as little as three days had significantly higher levels of vitamins C, K, E and folate, as well as healthful carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, they reported.
Leaves stored in the dark lost nutrients, however.
Even when picked, leafy greens continue to photosynthesize, Lester said. "As long as there is moisture in the leaves and as long as there is gas exchange and light, it is good to go whether they are picked or not," he said.
The surprising findings should apply to other fresh vegetables and may offer insights into how to keep produce fresher longer, the researchers reported.
They may also suggest ways to boost nutrients in fresh foods, said Gene Lester of the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. He said the idea for the experiment came to him when he was shopping.
Supermarkets often display fresh spinach in clear plastic containers at around 4 degrees Celsius under fluorescent light 24 hours a day. Lester wondered if this was good or bad for the leaves.
His team kept fresh spinach leaves in continuous light or dark for three to nine days.
Spinach kept under lights for as little as three days had significantly higher levels of vitamins C, K, E and folate, as well as healthful carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, they reported.
Leaves stored in the dark lost nutrients, however.
Even when picked, leafy greens continue to photosynthesize, Lester said. "As long as there is moisture in the leaves and as long as there is gas exchange and light, it is good to go whether they are picked or not," he said.
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