Widely targeted metabolomics reveals chemical mechanism of bloating in Rosa roxburghii Tratt juice induced by vitamin C and its chiral isomers.

This study investigates a previously unreported non-microbial bloating mechanism in concentrated Rosa roxburghii Tratt juice (CRRTJ). Despite sterilization via ultra-high temperature or 60Co-γ irradiation, CRRTJ consistently develops gas-filled pouch expansion during storage, posing significant industrial challenges. Through UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS analysis, we performed comprehensive identification of approximately 2300 metabolites in CRRTJ. Multimodal analytical approaches (differential, clustering, and reaction pathway analyses) conclusively demonstrated that vitamin C degradation-particularly involving its chiral isomers-drives spontaneous carbonation and subsequent packaging bloating. Notably, elevating pH levels and reducing storage temperature were demonstrated as effective mitigation strategies. These findings establish fundamental quality control principles for CRRTJ production while offering transformative insights for managing furanone-rich beverage systems in global supply chains.