Potatoes turn green when exposed to light, even the artificial light in a supermarket produce department. Clear packaging is usually not the best choice for spuds. Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry by Lester, Makus and Hodges (2010) shows just the opposite for spinach. Vitamins C, K, E, and folate increased significantly in spinach leaves stored in clear plastic containers for 3 days under continuous light and refrigeration simulating supermarket conditions, while those stored in continuous darkness showed declining or no change in levels of nutrients. After 9 days in the lighted storage, some vitamins levels had doubled, and all had higher levels of bioactive compounds.
Rick VanVranken
References:
- King, A. G. 2010. Research Advances: Spinach Nutrient Levels; Steering Oil Droplets; Possible Explanation of Left-Handed Preference? J. Chem. Educ., 2010, 87 (8), pp 766–769
- Lester, G. E., D. J. Makus and D. M. Hodges. 2010. Relationship between Fresh-Packaged Spinach Leaves Exposed to Continuous Light or Dark and Bioactive Contents: Effects of Cultivar, Leaf Size, and Storage DurationJ. Agric. Food Chem., 2010, 58 (5), pp 2980–2987.
