Effects of food processing on polyphenol contents: a systematic analysis using Phenol-Explorer data.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Public Health Nutrition

Background:

• Polyphenols are plant compounds with potential health benefits.
• Accurate estimation of dietary polyphenol intake is crucial for epidemiological studies.
• Food processing can significantly alter polyphenol content, impacting intake estimations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze polyphenol retention data from the Phenol-Explorer database.
• To investigate the effects of food type, polyphenol structure, and processing methods on polyphenol loss.
• To provide recommendations for refining polyphenol intake estimations in epidemiological research.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the updated Phenol-Explorer web database, encompassing 161 polyphenols.
• Analyzed retention factors (RFs) to quantify polyphenol changes due to processing.
• Compared polyphenol losses across various domestic cooking methods and storage conditions.

Main Results:

• Domestic cooking resulted in substantial polyphenol losses (median RF: 0.45-0.70), with high variability.
• Food storage caused minimal polyphenol losses (median RF: 0.88-0.95).
• The type of food was a more significant factor in polyphenol retention than the processing method.

Conclusions:

• Phenol-Explorer data facilitate rapid comparison of polyphenol losses across diverse food processing scenarios.
• When experimentally determined values are unavailable, using published RFs specific to the food and polyphenol is recommended for food composition tables.
• These findings aid in more accurate dietary assessments for public health and nutritional research.