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How can improper food storage reduce vitamin C and thiamine?

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Plate of sushi rolls with salmon, vegetables, and rice wrapped in seaweed, served with chopsticks and a small bowl of soy sauce on a wooden table. — gastronomy A common rice dish of Japanese cooking is sushi. To make a type known as *maki-zushi*, a sheet of seaweed is spread with rice flavored with vinegar. Seafood or vegetables and garnishes are then placed on top. Finally, the whole sheet is rolled into a cylinder and sliced.

Improper food storage accelerates chemical reactions that degrade nutritional quality, leading to a significant loss of vitamin C and thiamine.1

These losses occur primarily because food products remain biologically active after harvest, continuing life processes that are highly sensitive to environmental conditions. To minimize the degradation of these heat- and oxygen-sensitive nutrients, food science emphasizes the following storage controls:2

Temperature: The most critical parameter is maintaining a constant, low temperature. Higher temperatures increase the rates of chemical reactions that cause nutrient loss, whereas refrigeration slows these processes.12
Atmospheric Control: Exposure to oxygen can trigger oxidative reactions that reduce vitamin content. Controlling atmospheric gases—such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethylene—is essential for preserving the quality and shelf life of produce.12
Humidity: Foods with high water content require high-humidity environments to prevent moisture loss, which can further destabilize the product's internal chemistry.12

By failing to regulate these factors, storage environments allow for the rapid deterioration of essential vitamins, alongside other quality issues like color changes, off-flavors, and loss of texture.1