them. It should also be known that hydrolytic rancidity most often occurs in dairy products whereas oxidative rancidity is more a problem for fatty acids as well as oil structures.
A very important area right now in the food chemistry field is the creation of antioxidants which can be used to significantly slow down the development of rancidity in foods due to oxygen. The natural Antioxidants typically used include flavanoids, polyphenols, absorbic acid, and tocopherols (Neil). However, these natural Antioxidants tend to be much less effective as they do not last as long so artificial Antioxidants like butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, propyl gallate, and ethoxyquin are typically used instead. Instead of antioxidants, manufactures often use packaging as a way to fight subsidize the effects of the antioxidants since they block out any light as well as isolate the food from the presence of any reactive oxygen molecules in the air.
The way by which these antioxidants are actually used to prevent oxidative rancidity is by controlling the free radicals of food so that these foods end up being much less reactive with the oxygen in the air. It is also very important for manufacturers to keep the levels of water-soluble and fat-soluble near the same so that a balance is maintained throughout the food that is trying to be protected. Along with the use of Antioxidants, prevention of oxidative rancidity can also be improved by the location with which the food is stored. Since heat and light have shown to have a profound effect on the speed of the reactions, the best location is one that is temperature controlled as well as typically dark so that there are no potential catalysts for the oxidation.
Another less well known aspect of Antioxidants is their profound effect as a nutritional value in the body. In a very similar way by which Antioxidants can help in the preservation of foods, they are also essential in the protection from oxidative damage in the body. With oxygen being a huge part in the everyday functions of our bodies, it is important to realize that many times our body cells end up releasing free radicals as they use oxygen. Free radicals are very harmful to our bodies as they can cause a more reactive environment which is not always good for the balance in our bodies. However, the presence of Antioxidants in our bodies allows for these free radicals to be cleaned up and harvested so that no further damage can occur. Without the presence of Antioxidants in our bodies, health problems like heart disease and cancer would be even more of a problem (Tsang).
Stereochemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with spatial arrangements of atoms in molecules and the effects of these arrangements on the chemical and physical properties of substances (Wightman). Stereochemistry in foods is unique because of how it deals with the identifications of the aspects listed above. For example, a key aspect in the identification process is the presence of a chiral carbon. Chiral carbons are those that have four different substances attached to each area of electron density. These are unique because they allow for a virtual “mirror image” that can have completely different traits from a physically very similar molecule. These carbons are huge in the field of sugars as they are used to identify and then produce the most addictive combination. They can also be used very similar in the production of amino acids by allowing for a more effective production.
When looking back on the other food options report it can be seen that this one focused much more on the reactions that foods can and do undergo whereas the last report focused much more on the actual chemical compositions of food. Oxidative rancidity plays a huge role in the preservation of food and how quickly it can go bad. Fortunately, Antioxidants have become so prominent in the field of food chemistry today that they do a very good job of keeping up with the oxidation. With stereochemistry, it is huge to realize how much thought must go into the analyzing of a chemical structure. It is really interesting to see how prominent something like chiral carbons have become in the production of foods in general.