The preservation of the antiscorbutic vitamin in lemon juice

Abstract

Although preventing fermentation, potassium metabisulphite, so-dium benzoate, formic acid, and oil of cloves exert a destructive action on vitamin C in lemon juice. Lemon rind oil is less destructive than potassium metabisulphite. Lemon juice adjusted with HC1 to pH 1-6 pre-serves its antiscorbutic activity for 14 months at ordi-nary temperatures. Vitamin C is unstable under conditions detrimental to the development of moulds and bacteria.