VITAMIN A FORTIFIed PEANUT BUTTER - The Official Website of ...

Technology Transfer
The technology of fortifiying stabilized peanut butter by direct addition was adopted by two
industry collaborators. The level of fortification was established and verified at commercial scale to
insure that the Filipino consumers are provided with at least 1/3 of Philippine RENI per serving of peanut
butter. Results of technology transfer and adoption are reported in Chapters 5a and 5b of this monograph.
Influence of Type and Amount of Fortificant
RESULTS
Table 3.2 shows the amount of vitamin A (based on % RENI) in stabilized peanut butter after
processing, using three fortificants at three levels of fortification and two brands of stabilizers. All
stabilized peanut butter samples fortified with beta-carotene had the highest (64.22 -175.37% of RENI)
amount of vitamin A retained after processing. Peanut butter samples fortified with microencapsulated
vitamin A palmitate had significantly higher (43.04-103.99%) amount of vitamin A than samples with
oily preparation of vitamin A at all levels of fortification. Use of vitamin A palmitate (oily preparation)
as a fortificant had the lowest (35.14 -101.30% of RENI) amount of vitamin A retained after processing.
The significant differences in the amount of vitamin A (based on % RENI) in stabilized peanut
butter retained after processing as affected by the type of fortificant and level of fortification may be due
to the differences in the stability of the fortificants used (Table 3.3). According to Gregory (1996), betacarotene
has a 30% maximum cooking loss compared to 40% of vitamin A (retinol). Beta-carotene is one
of the more stable vitamins found in vegetables (Roche Vitamins Ltd., 2001d). Synthetically produced
carotenoids (oil or water soluble) are unstable in light but exhibit good stability in food applications (de
Man, 1990). The commercial form is sold as a 1% or 10% preparation in gelatin beadlets that can last up
to 12 months if stored properly (Roche Vitamins Ltd., 2001a). Losses of beta-carotene activity occur
mainly through reductions involving unsaturated isopoprenoid side chain by either autoxidation or
geometric isomerization. Moreover conversion of all-trans forms to cis forms of carotenoids are induced
by heat, light, acid, chlorinated solvents and dilute iodine (Gregory, 1996).
The study conducted by Dutra-de-Oliviera et al (1998) on the stability of beta-carotene in
fortified soybean oil, showed that heating the oil at 100°C for 20 min resulted in 100% beta-carotene
retention. In the fortification of stabilized peanut butter with beta-carotene an average of 90.20% vitamin
A was retained during processing which is low compared to the vitamin A retention in soybean oil. This
might be due to the increased stability of vitamin A (retinol and beta-carotene) in oil than other currently
used food vehicles such as flour, sugar or corn soy blends (Bagriansky and Ranum, 1998). They reported
that vitamin A losses from cooking using vitamin A fortified oil ranged from 5% for boiling or simmering
to 20% when the food is fried.
Vitamin A palmitate on the other hand, is commercially available in the form of an oily
preparation and as microencapsulated or dry beadlets. The dry beadlets is a free-flowing form of vitamin
A compounded with sugar, fish gelatin and modified food starch, with dL-alpha tocopherol as
antioxidant. The oily preparation can crystallize upon storage while the dry beadlets or
microencapsulated form, cakes with moisture (Wright Nutrition, 1999). de Man (1990) noted that
vitamin A in beadlet or dry form is more stable than the oily preparation since beadlets have a protective
coating.
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