Table 2.

Degradation constant rate (k)^a expressed as day⁻¹ for pVAC in orange maize meal stored for 120 days in different packaging methods.

Type of meal	Package	Carotenoid	k	r2	p
BF meal	Polyethylene	βCX	0.00327a	0.92	<0.01
BF meal	PICS		0.00349a	0.82	<0.01
BF meal	Aluminum		0.00088b	0.26	0.16
HM meal	Polyethylene		0.00283a	0.93	<0.01
HM meal	PICS		0.00292a	0.92	<0.01
HM meal	Aluminum		0.00023b	−0.05	0.99
BF meal	Polyethylene	13-cis-βC	0.00345a	0.89	<0.01
BF meal	PICS		0.00323a	0.89	<0.01
BF meal	Aluminum		0.00107c	0.77	<0.01
HM meal	Polyethylene		0.00215b	0.97	<0.01
HM meal	PICS		0.00215b	0.95	<0.01
HM meal	Aluminum		0.00059c	0.67	<0.01
BF meal	Polyethylene	βC	0.00526a	0.88	<0.01
BF meal	PICS		0.00508a	0.88	<0.01
BF meal	Aluminum		0.00141c	0.70	<0.01
HM meal	Polyethylene		0.00344b	0.95	<0.01
HM meal	PICS		0.00344b	0.95	<0.01
HM meal	Aluminum		0.00072c	0.37	<0.01
BF meal	Polyethylene	9-cis-βC	0.00327a	0.92	<0.01
BF meal	PICS		0.00300ab	0.91	<0.01
BF meal	Aluminum		0.00095c	0.75	<0.01
HM meal	Polyethylene		0.00221b	0.97	<0.01
HM meal	PICS		0.00232b	0.96	<0.01
HM meal	Aluminum		0.00043c	0.36	0.43
BF meal	Polyethylene	pVAC	0.00416a	0.91	<0.01
BF meal	PICS		0.00416a	0.88	<0.01
BF meal	Aluminum		0.00095c	0.52	<0.01
HM meal	Polyethylene		0.00296b	0.95	<0.01
HM meal	PICS		0.00302b	0.94	<0.01
HM meal	Aluminum		0.00035c	0.14	0.15

^ɑDifferent lower case letters indicate significant differences within columns (p < 0.05). Values of k are average of three farms. BF = breakfast meal; HM = hammer meal; βCX = β-cryptoxanthin; 13-cis-βC = 13-cis-β-carotene; βC = all trans-β-carotene; 9-cis-βC = 9-cis-β-carotene; pVAC = provitamin A carotenoids (expressed as β-carotene equivalents).