General Properties of Minor Food ComponentsGeneral Properties of Minor Food ComponentsGeneral Properties of Minor Food Components

Abstract

Vitamins and minerals are minor components of foods that play an essential role in human nutrition. The vitamins are generally divided into two main groups, the water-soluble and the fat-soluble vitamins. The occurrence of the vitamins in the various food groups is related to their water or fat solubility. Minerals may be present as inorganic or organic salts or may be combined with organic material. Many vitamins and minerals are unstable under certain conditions of processing and storage; therefore, their content in processed foods may be considerably reduced. Some vitamins and minerals function as part of an enzyme cofactor; without them, the enzyme would be ineffective as a biocatalyst. This chapter focuses on vitamins and mineral classification, their chemical properties and stability, and their functional properties in food.