Linus Pauling Institute

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to assess whether canned peaches could deliver nutrient levels comparable to fresh peaches. Fresh freestone peaches, fresh cling peaches and canned cling peaches were analyzed for vitamins A, C and E, folate, antioxidants, total phenolics and total carotenoids to assess how these nutrients were affected by the canning process and whether storage further changed these components.

RESULTS: The vitamins and phytochemicals measured in this study were found to be present in canned cling peaches versus fresh freestone at statistically significantly higher levels (vitamin C, antioxidants and folate); higher but not statistically different levels (vitamin A); or lower, but not statistically different levels (vitamin E, total phenolics and total carotenoids). There were no statistically significant changes in nutrient content during storage for 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS: The nutritional content of canned peaches has been shown in this study to be comparable to that of fresh peaches. There were no statistically significant decreases in those nutritional parameters measured in this study between fresh freestone peaches and canned cling peaches. Vitamins A and E along with total carotenoids decrease immediately upon processing, but appear to stabilize after the processing step, showing minimal additional changes upon storage for 3 months. This study shows that canned peaches can provide comparable nutrient levels to the consumer as fresh peaches, meaning that consumers can enjoy peaches year round without worrying about loss of nutrients in their diet.