Description
Antioxidants are substances in food that include many natural components that are beneficial to ones health. Natural and synthetic antioxidants are also useful in keeping foods fresh. Measurement of the total antioxidant capacity of foods can thus provide important information about the comparative health benefits of foods and beverages as well as the shelf life of foods and their freshness. Several factors influence the stability of foods and ingredients, including added and natural antioxidants, temperature, handling conditions and exposure to light and oxygen. Properties associated with this decline in freshness include undesirable changes in flavors, textures, shelf stability, nutritional content and appearance. While there are numerous methods available to measure antioxidants few are useful in food chemistry