Protecting oil during frying: A comparative study

The effect of carbon dioxide blanketing (CDB) and vacuum frying (VF) on the frying performance of regular canola oil was evaluated. For 7 h daily and for 7 days French fries were fried in regular canola oil at 185 ± 5 °C without and with CDB and in a vacuum fryer. The extent of changes in the oil was assessed by analysis of total polar compounds (TPC), anisidine value (AV), color component formation and changes in composition of fatty acids and tocopherols. Frying under CDB reduced the amount of TPC by 54%, while 76% reduction was observed during VF compared to standard frying conditions (SFC). Similarly, lower oxidative degradation was observed when measured by AV. At the end of the frying period, the reduction in unsaturated fatty acid content was 3.8, 1.9 and 12.7% when frying under CDB, vacuum and SFC, respectively. The rate of tocopherol degradation was three and twelve times slower in VF when compared to CDB and SFC, respectively.     

Oxidative stability of healthful frying oil medium and uptake of inherent nutraceuticals during deep frying

Four healthful frying oil mediums have been formulated using sunflower (FOB-I), groundnut (FOB-II), mustard (FOB-III), and palm olein (FOB-IV) oils as base oils, and fortified with rice bran and crude sesame oils separately in the ratio of 60∶20∶20 (by vol). Oxidative stabilities have been ascertained by deep-frying potato bajji (potato slices sandwiched with Bengal gram flour) continuously for 60 min for three cycles with a gap of 7 d each. The product had moisture between 12.8 and 16.0% and absorbed fat between 32.5 and 38.1%, making the oil media vulnerable to oxidation. The p-anisidine values for leftover FOB-I and FOB-IV ranged from 10.8 to 24.4 and from 1.5 to 10.7, respectively, indicating that the former was a less and the latter a more stable combination. Hydroperoxide and conjugated dienes were assessed by UV spectrometry at λ_max 230 nm. The O.D. was maximal (1.4) for FOB-I samples for both leftover and absorbed oils for third-cycle experiments. That there was no absorbance for the FOB-III and-IV samples indicated their absence. Estimation of oryzanol and sesamol in oil left over after deep frying and in the oil absorbed by the products indicated that distribution was equal and there was no loss of these active factors during deep frying. The study indicated that sunflower oil blend was the least stable and the palm olein blend was most stable.     

The effect of different porous media on moisture loss and oil absorption profiles during frying using glass micromodels

Microstructure plays a key role in oil absorption during frying. The aim of this work was to improve our understanding of the relationship between microstructure and oil absorption, through the use of glass micromodels to obtain evidence of transport phenomena in three porous networks. Micromodels were saturated with water and partially immersed in oil at 190°C. Moisture and oil profiles were imaged to get water and oil saturation maps. Image and fractal analyses were performed to describe the morphology of the evaporation and oil fronts. Results showed that higher porosity facilitated the moisture removal and promoted greater oil absorption during cooling. The fractal dimension showed that microstructures with a relatively high number of fine capillaries were less stable and propitiated fingering during the advance of the evaporation front. In all matrices, the disruption of the surface oil film due to air penetration was a critical factor to stop oil imbibition. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 629–638, 2016     

Iron accumulation in oil during the deep-fat frying of meat

Iron accumulation in oil is a potential problem when frying food containing substantial amounts of iron. Selected meat products (skinless chicken breast, beef liver, and lean beef) were ground and fried (ca. 2-cm spheres, ca. 10 g/sphere) in partially hydrogenated soybean oil (PHSBO). Samples (450 g) of ground meat were fried 3 times/h for 8 h/d for 3 d. Oil samples were collected for analysis for iron (every 8 h) and oil degradation (every 4 h) and replaced with fresh oil. The iron contents of oil samples after 3 d of frying were approximately 0.11, 0.48, and 4.01 mg of iron/kg of PHSBO for the oil used to fry chicken, beef, and liver, respectively. There was a notable darkening in color and an increased tendency to foam for the beef liver oil sample compared with the other samples. After frying, the acid values were 0.9, 1.1, and 1.4 for the oil samples for chicken, beef, and liver, respectively. After frying, the p-anisidine values were 11.5, 12.8, and 32.6 for the oil samples for chicken, beef, and liver, respectively; the food oil sensor values were 0.96, 0.96, and 0.83 for the oil samples for chicken, beef, and liver, respectively.     

Effect of oil replenishment during deep-fat frying of frozen foods in sunflower oil and high-oleic acid sunflower oil

Frying stability of sunflower oil (SO) with 23% oleic acid and 61% linoleic acid, and of high-oleic acid sunflower oil (HOSO) with 74% oleic acid and 13% linoleic acid was studied during 20 discontinuous deep-fat fryings of various frozen foods, with or without frequent replenishment of the used oil with fresh oil. Alterations of both oils were measured by column, gas-liquid and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. Total polar content and compounds, related to thermoxidative changes, and diacylglycerides, related to hydrolytic changes, increased in all oils during frying but reached higher levels in SO than in HOSO. Nevertheless, the increased levels of diacylglycerides observed may result from the frozen potatoes prefried in palm oil. Oleic acid in HOSO and linoleic acid in SO significantly decreased, but the fatty acid modifications that occurred during the repeated fryings were not only related to thermoxidative alteration but also to interactions between the bath oil and the fat in the fried products. Data from this study also indicated that HOSO performed more satisfactorily than SO in repeated fryings of frozen foods. Moreover, frequent addition of fresh oil throughout the deep-frying process minimized thermoxidative and hydrolytic changes in the frying oils and extended the frying life of the oils.     

Acrylamide content of commercial frying oil

After Swedish researchers reported that heated foods such as potato chips and French fries contain acrylamide, the potential for health damage resulting from the consumption of these foods became a widespread concern. Used frying oils collected from food manufacturing companies were subjected to acrylamide determination using GC/MS-SIM, but the compound was not detected. Thus, we conclude that frying oil used in deep frying would not contaminate foodstuffs with acrylamide and that the recovered oil, much of which is used as a component of animal feeds, would be safe for livestock. Model experiments heating oil at 180 degrees C suggested that no acrylamide was formed either from a mixture of major amino acids exuded from frying foodstuffs and carbonyl compounds generated from oxidized oil, or from oil and ammonia generated from amino acids.     

A kinetic study of oil deterioration during frying and a comparison with heating

The thermooxidative alterations of cottonseed oil during frying of potato chips without oil turnover, in a temperature range of 155–195°C, were studied. The results showed that the content of polar compounds, conjugated dienes, conjugated trienes, and p-anisidine value (p-AV) increased linearly with the time of frying at a rate depending on temperature. The rate constants showed a significant but low increase with temperature, except for the rate constant of conjugated trienes that was not correlated to frying temperature. The alterations induced by heating the oil were also measured and compared with those observed in frying at the same temperature. The major difference observed between frying and heating was related to the p-AV increase, which presented a considerably higher rate during heating. The FA content, as a function of process time during frying at 185°C, showed a significant increase in palmitic acid (C16∶0) and a significant decrease in linoleic acid (C18∶2). Oleic acid (C18∶1) also showed a small but significant decrease. The same results were obtained for the oil heated at 185°C. Examination of p-AV or conjugated dienes with polar compounds showed that both p-AV and conjugated dienes had a linear relationship with total polar compounds, with correlation coefficients of 0.946 and 0.862, respectively.     

Flavor stability and quality of high-oleate and regular soybean oil blends during frying

The percentages of oleate (18∶1), linoleate (18∶2), and linolenate (18∶3) in blended soybean oils (SBO) were evaluated for their impact on flavor stability and quality in fried foods. Six SBO treatments, including a control (conventional SBO, 21.5% 18∶1) and a high-18∶1 SBO (HO, 79% 18∶1), were tested. In addition, these two oils were mixed in different ratios to make three blended oils containing 36.9, 50.7, and 64.7% 18∶1, abbreviated as 37%OA, 51%OA, and 65%OA, respectively. Also, a low-18∶3 (LL) SBO containing 1.4% 18∶3 and 25.3% 18∶1 was tested. Bread cubes (8.19 cm³) were fried in each of 18 oils (6 treatments ×3 replicates). The fresh and stored bread cubes fried in 79%OA were second to the cubes fried in LL in overall flavor quality, were the weakest in intensity of stale, grassy, fishy, cardboard, and burnt flavors by sensory evaluation, and contained the least amounts of hexanal, hexanal, t-2-heptenal, t,t-2,4-nonadienal, and t,t-2,4-decadienal in volatile analysis. Other treatments were intermediate in these sensory and instrumental evaluations, as related to their 18∶1, 18∶2, and 18∶3 concentrations. In general, the results suggested that the overall flavor stability and eating quality of foods fried in the six oil treatments from the best to the poorest would be: LL≥79%OA, 65%OA, 51%OA, 37%OA, and control.     

煎炸油再生吸附材料研究进展

通过介绍油脂的常用评价指标,以及吸附剂的吸附机理,分别详细阐述了多种国内外煎炸油再生吸附材料,如活性白土、硅胶、活性炭、二氧化硅、硅酸镁、改性沸石、滤油粉、金属有机骨架及新型吸附剂等的吸附效果。     

Explorative spectrometric evaluations of frying oil deterioration

The potential of spectroscopy as a reliable and fast method for determining the deterioration of frying oils was investigated. Daily oil samples were collected from a commercial Chinese spring roll plant. The plant was operated one shift, 5 d a week, then cleaned and restarted with fresh oil every 4 wk. Each oil sample was analyzed by 11 chemical/physical methods and fluorescence, near infrared/visible (NIR/VIS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and FT-Raman spectroscopic procedures. The results were evaluated and compared by principal-component analysis and partial least squares regression. Most chemical/physical and all spectroscopic methods detected the deterioration during the first half of the frying cycle. Thereafter, an equilibrium occurred between deterioration processes and replenishment with new oil. At equilibrium, the correlation between frying time and the various methods was nonlinear. FT-IR with the attenuated total reflectance sampling technique was the most direct and accurate method of monitoring gross changes in the frying oil. Fluorescence was the technique that provided the best models for anisidine value, oligomers, iodine value, and vitamin E. NIR/VIS spectroscopy proved to be a good general-purpose technique. The study demonstrated that spectroscopic sensors have the potential to replace titration and chromatographic procedures, and can be used in combination with chemometric data analysis to optimize deep-frying operations.     

Thermal deterioration of oil and frying foodstuffs

Male Wistar rats were fed ad libitum for 12 weeks a powdered diet (AIN93G; no fat) containing 7 wt% of fresh oil (control), and frying oils heated for 20 h at 180 degrees C with amino acids, gluten, sugar, and wheat starch, respectively. The rats were subjected to anthropometric measurements, hematological analyses, and observations of the liver and kidneys. All of the rats grew well, and no gross symptoms attributable to the experimental oils were observed. The serum of all the experimental groups showed a tendency toward lower levels of triacylglycerol and free fatty acids and higher levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) than that of the control group. Among experimental groups, the rats fed a diet containing oil heated with gluten were least influenced by thermally deteriorated oil in terms of serum levels of glucose, triacylglycerol, phospholipids, cholesterol, and insulin; histological evaluations; and number of dark-red patches found on the surface of the liver.     

High-performance size-exclusion chromatographic studies on a high-oleic acid sunflower oil during potato frying

The behavior of a high-oleic acid sunflower oil used for 75 repeated deep-fat fryings of potatoes, with a fast turnover of fresh oil during frying, was evaluated by measuring the total polar content isolated by column chromatography. The total polar content increased in the oil from 3.6 ± 0.1 (mean ± SD) mg/100 mg unused oil to 7.6 ± 0.4 mg/100 mg oil after being used in 20 repeated fryings, followed by a tendency to reach a near-steady state throughout the successive fryings. Further, the polar fraction was examined by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. Triacylglyceride dimers increased continuously from 0.18 ± 0.01 mg/100 mg unused oil to 2.42 ± 0.12 mg/100 mg oil at the 40th frying with no further significant changes. The amount of triacylglyceride polymers increased from 0.03 ± 0.00 mg/100 mg unused oil to 0.70 ± 0.01 mg/100 mg oil at the 60th frying, but did not increase further with continued frying. Oxidized triacylglycerides also significantly increased from 1.13 ± 0.06 mg/100 mg oil to 3.58 ± 0.09 mg/100 mg oil at the 50th frying to reach a near-steady state in successive fryings. Diacylglycerides and free fatty acids levels, related to hydrolytic alteration, did not change from the starting oil after continued fryings. Data from this study indicated that repeated fryings of potatoes in high-oleic sunflower oil with a frequent turnover of fresh oil throughout the frying slightly increased the level of polar material in the fryer oil during the first fryings, followed by minor changes and a tendency to reach a near-steady state in successive fryings.     

Cyclic fatty acids in sunflower oils during frying of frozen foods with oil replenishment

Frying of frozen foods has become popular because it considerably reduces cooking time. Polymers and cyclic fatty acid monomers (CFAM) formed during frying are potentially toxic and therefore their production should be minimized. Twenty discontinuous fryings of different frozen foods were carried out over ten consecutive days, in sunflower oil (SO) and in high‐oleic acid sunflower oil (HOSO), by adding fresh oil after each frying to bring the volume of the fryer oil back to 3 L. CFAM methyl ester derivates were hydrogenated, isolated, concentrated and quantified by HPLC using a reverse‐phase column, followed by gas chromatography. After 20 fryings, significantly higher contents of polar material, polymers and CFAM (all p <0.001) were found in SO than in HOSO. Bicyclic compound formation was four times higher in SO (p <0.001). The fat from the fried potatoes presented a polymer content very similar to that of their corresponding oils. The 100‐g rations of the SO‐fried potatoes from the 20^th frying supply 49 or 15%, respectively, more polymers and CFAM and 1 mg more bicyclic fatty acids than the 100‐g rations of HOSO‐fried potatoes. Because digestion and absorption of polar material, polymers and CFAM occur, the data clearly show the advantageousness and advisability of frying with HOSO rather than SO.     

Effect of oil degradation during frying on the color of fried, battered squid rings

Oil degradation caused by the number of fryings performed and the effect of oil degradation on the color of fried battered squid rings were studied. Spectrophotometric techniques with absorbance in the UV and visible ranges, and iodine, peroxide, and acid values were used to determine oil degradation. Determination of various CIELAB parameters in order to study the external color of the fried battered squid rings revealed no differences in color due to the number of fryings. A study of the color of the battered squid rings at various frying times and temperatures showed significant differences for both variables. Although there was some degradation in the oil after 20 fryings, appearing as a slight darkening, it did not affect the final color of the fried, battered squid rings.     

Linalyl oleate as a frying oil autoxidation inhibitor

Linalyl oleate (LO), an interesterification product of linalyl acetate (LA) and methyl oleate catalyzed with sodium methoxide, was studied to determine its effectiveness in retarding oxidative changes in soybean oil heated continuously at 180±5°C for 32 h. The identity of LO was established by GC-MS and NMR. LO was tested at levels of 0.05 and 0.1% and compared with the more commonly used synthetic autoxidation inhibitor methyl silicone (MS) at levels of 5 and 10 ppm. FA changes and conjugated dienoic acid formation were monitored. First-order kinetic equations were used to model the decreases in linoleate (18∶2)/palmitate and linolenate (18∶3)/palmitate ratios. Plots of the data show an inflection point at ∼11 h. Oils with either level of MS and LO had lower reaction rate constants before the inflection points, and lower conjugated diene values and higher 18∶2 and 18∶3 percentages at the end of the 32-h heating period than did oil without additives and with LA. LO could replace methyl silicone in soybean oil during deep-fat frying but at levels about 100 times greater. [We propose to use the term “autoxidation inhibitor” for substances that inhibit autoxidation when added to fats and oils at low concentrations and whose mechanism of action may be unknown. Some may wish to call such substances “antioxidants” but others wish to reserve this term for substances that end free radical chains by hydrogen radical donation. Some refer to methyl silicone as a “polymerization inhibitor”, but this term suggests more about its mechanism of action than seems warranted.]     

Fractionation of commercial frying oil samples using sep-pak cartridges

Commercial frying oil samples were fractionated by column chromatography on hydrated silicic acid according to the standardized DGF-IUPAC-AOAC method. The non-polar fraction was isolated using a mixture of petroleum ether:diethyl ether (87:13), while the polar fraction was eluted by diethyl ether. These used frying oil samples were also fractionated using Sep-Pak cartridges. The non-polar fraction was eluted with 20 ml of a mixture of petroleum ether:diethyl ether (92:8), while the polar fraction was eluted with methanol. The purity of each fraction was studied by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and by the Iatroscan TLC/FID system using a mixture of hexane:tetrahydrofuran:acetic acid (97:3:1) as solvent system. The Sep-Pak and the standardized methods gave similar results. This indicates that the state of degradation of a frying oil (detection of polar components) could be studied using Sep-Pak cartridges, which is less time- and solvent-consuming than column chromatography.     

Effectiveness of dimethylpolysiloxane during deep frying

In the last decades, silicones and particularly dimethylpolysiloxane (DMPS) added to oils and fats at very low concentrations (1–5 mg/kg) have been widely applied as inhibitors of thermoxidative reactions in deep frying. In this review, information available on the mechanisms of DMPS action during the frying process is summarised. Studies on samples submitted to high temperature in the absence of foods, as well as those on continuous and discontinuous frying, are commented upon. It is concluded that the different effects reported can be attributed to the high number of variables interacting during frying. The maximum effectiveness of DMPS was obtained in discontinuous frying operations when the oil surface becomes unprotected against oxidation due to the absence of the food. On the contrary, in industrial continuous frying, the addition of DMPS was found to be ineffective due to the protection of the surface by steam originating from the food.