Q: First I would like to thank u for providing this facility. My question is that we are bringing vegitables for period of one week or for five days we are keeping them in open place. Will the vegetables loose any vitamins during this period? if they loose any vitamins can we stop losing vitamins by keeping them in refrigirator?

A:When considering nutrient loss in food storage it is best to consider the primary nutrient(s) in the first place. Minerals and carbohydrates change very little in stored foods. While there are small changes, they are biologically insignificant. So in other words, if a food is stored primarily for its mineral and carbohydrate content, nutrition will be little affected by age and adverse storage conditions. Proteins change in the way they react in a recipe. For example, old wheat flour will not rise when used in bread because the ability of the proteins to form gluten has been destroyed. Fats undergo enzymatic changes, or oxide (become rancid) creating off odours and flavours. The higher the fat content the shorter the shelf life. Vitamins, on the other hand, are susceptible to destruction by heat, light, and oxidation. Some foods have high levels of particular vitamins and can still provide the needed daily supply even after loss due to age. It is best to store vegetables in the refrigerator for fresh taste.