Both freeze-chilling and chilling reduce the vitamin C content of mashed potato in comparison with freezing. The current trial investigated the potential of encapsulated vitamin C (EVC) for boosting the vitamin C content of mashed potato. Preliminary trials with EVC in aqueous solution indicated that the vitamin C was not released from the capsules until the temperature reached approximate to67 degreesC' i.e. the melting point of the encapsulating fat. Samples of cooled mashed potato (cultivar Rooster) were supplemented with EVC and were subjected to four process treatments, i.e. fresh, chilling, freeze-chilling and freezing. Parallel tests were conducted with ordinary vitamin C (OVC) and with no vitamin C (NVC) (i.e. control samples). The vitamin C content of the reheated samples with added EVC from the four process treatments was 24.4 mg/100 g (fresh), 16.4 (chill), 14.3 (freeze-chill), 22.4 (freeze). Corresponding contents using OVC were 25.3, 2.4, 2.8, and 19.1 mg/100 g and NVC were 2.0, 1.5, 0.5 and 0.8 mg/100 g respectively. These data show that EVC has potential for boosting the vitamin C content of both freeze-chilled and chilled mashed potato. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.