Stability and Contribution of Beta Carotene Added to Whole Wheat Bread and Crackers

Whole wheat bread and crackers were fortified with beta carotene using for crackers. Beta carotene sources with added antioxidants generally three pure (all-trans) sources: one water-soluble and two oil-soluble. Two exhibited greater carotene stability, but only during baking and not during sources contained added antioxidants. Carotene in both bakery products product storage. Baking caused a steric shift in carotene, with cis isomers was highly stable during the prebaking steps and also during the typical averaging -18% in bread products and -34% in crackers. A serving market shelf life of the products. However, carotene losses were appre- of each product would provide over 500 IU of vitamin A activity (can ciable during baking, ranging from 4-15% for bread products to 18-23% be labeled a "good source" of vitamin A) and nearly 0.4 mg of carotene.