Effect of cooking on the concentration of Vitamins B in fortified meat products.

B vitamins fortification of meat products is useful to compensate the loss of these compounds occurring during the heat treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of heat treatments on the B vitamins concentration in fortified meat products. A rapid and reliable method for the simultaneous determination of Vitamins B(1), B(6) and B(12) in homogenized boiled ham and in various fortified burgers was set up. Extraction procedure and HPLC method ensure low detection limits, good sensitivity and resolution. Results showed that cooking processes caused a decrease in the B vitamins content both in mild (70-90 degrees C) and severe (120 degrees C) conditions. Performing a fortification of 25 microg g(-1) the residual concentration of B vitamins after cooking allow to reach the recommended daily allowance, thus suggesting that B vitamins fortification of meat product is an useful practice.