Popeye had it right

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Popeye had it right

Shelf life of spinach limited, food scientist says

Last Updated Fri, 18 Mar 2005 20:23:45 EST

CBC News

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Popeye ate canned spinach to fuel up, but the

fresh leaves can lose nutrients if stored for more than a week, food

scientists have found.

Attractive leaves don't necessarily mean the salad is at its

nutritional peak. (CP file photo)

Researchers at Penn State University found spinach stored at 4 C

loses its folate and carotenoid content at a slower rate than if

stored at 10 C to 16 C.

Folate is a vitamin B compound that helps our bodies to produce and

maintain new cells. Folate deficiency in pregnant women can lead to

birth defects such as spina bifida.

Carotenoids are nutrients that give fruits and vegetables their

bright red and orange hues. The nutrients help support vision and

protect eyes from UV damage.

Spinach is high in both, according to the U.S. Food and Drug

administration.

But a colourful appearance does not mean the leaves are still full of

nutrients. Although splashing ice water may make the produce look

nicer, it doesn't restore lost nutrients.

When spinach travels to Canada or across the country, the produce may

be kept in a warm shipping truck.

By the time raspberry vinagrette is sprinkled on, nutrient levels may

have declined.

Luke LaBorde and graduate student Srilatha Pandrangi of Penn State

found spinach stored at 4 C may lose much of its nutrients after

eight days.

" This has implications in the shipping process, " said LaBorde, senior

author of the study published in the Journal of Food Science.

Most refrigerators are set at slightly higher than 4 C. After eight

days at 4 C, the spinach retained 53 per cent of its folate, the

researchers found.

Demand is high for fresh produce, but canned or frozen may in fact be

better in some cases.

" There is also a fallacy that fresh spinach is always better than

canned, " LaBorde said in a release.

Al Pater