The effect of intermittent and continuous heating of soybean oil at frying temperature on the formation of 4-hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal and other α-, β-unsaturated hydroxyaldehydes

4-Hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal (HNE) is a cytotoxic secondary lipid peroxidation product of linoleic acid. Previous investigations in this laboratory showed that HNE is formed in thermally oxidized soybean oil, which is high in linoleic acid. Continuous exposure of the oil to frying temperature (185°C) for up to 6 h graduallyincreased the formation of HNE and other polar lipophilic aldehydes. Additional investigations in this laboratory showed that HNE is absorbed into food fried in thermally oxidized oil in the same concentration as was found in the oil. In the present experiment, the effect of intermittent heating on the formation of HNE in soybean oil was compared with continuous heating. Soybean oil samples were heated either for 1 h each day for five sequential days or for 5 h continuously at 185±5°C. The thermally oxidized soybean oil samples were analyzed by HPLC for the presence of HNE and three other polar lipophilic α-,β-unsaturated hydroxyaldehydes: 4-hydroxy-2-trans-hexanal, 4-hydroxy-2-trans-octenal, and 4-hydroxy-2-trans-decenal. Under intermittent and continuous heating over a total of 5 h, the concentration of these compounds increased similarly. These results indicate that the formation of HNE and other hydroxyaldehydes at frying temperature is a cumulative result of oxidation of PUFA over time.     

Formation of 4-hydroxynonenal, a toxic aldehyde, in soybean oil at frying temperature

The formation of 4-hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal (HNE), a mutagenic and cytotoxic product of the peroxidation of linoleic acid, was monitored in soybean oil that was heated at 185°C for 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h. Unheated soybean oil contained no HNE and a relatively low concentration of polar lipophilic secondary oxidation products (aldehydes and related carbonyl compounds), measured as 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine derivatives by HPLC. An increase in the concentration of both HNE and total lipophilic polar oxidation products was observed with increased exposure to frying temperature. A considerable concentration of HNE had already formed at 2 h and the concentration continued to increase at 4 and 6 h of heating. After 6 h the concentration of HNE decreased, possibly due to degradation of the aldehyde with further exposure to high temperature. The loss of endogenous tocopherols was also monitored in the heated oil, and the tocopherol concentration decreased as the secondary lipid oxidation products increased.     

Formation of 4-Hydroxy-2-(<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>)-Nonenal in a Corn–Soy Oil Blend: a Controlled Heating Study Using a French Fried Potato Model

The formation of 4-hydroxy-2-(E)-nonenal (HNE) in a corn–soy oil blend during frying was investigated. Frozen shoestring potatoes were fried once per hour at 180 °C for 8 h/day over a 4-day period. As a control, oil was also heated under identical conditions, except that no product was fried. HNE was quantified by GC–MS using a stable isotope dilution assay with pentaflurobenzyl hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA) and trimethylsilyl 2,2,2-trifluoro-n-(trimethylsilyl)acetimidate (BSTFA) derivatization. The HNE concentration in the potato fryers increased throughout the first day of frying. On subsequent days the daily maximum HNE concentration was reached after fresh oil was added and the fryer was brought to the frying temperature. The potato fryer oil reached a maximum concentration of 5.6 ppm during the second day of frying. Similarly, the HNE concentration of the oil in the control fryer increased throughout the first day of heating. On subsequent days the daily maximum HNE concentration varied throughout the experimental period. The control fryers reached a maximum concentration of 6.3 ppm at the end of the second day of heating. Throughout the experimental period there was a tendency for the oil in the control fryer to have a greater concentration of HNE than the oil in the potato fryer. Overall time of the experiment and heating with food versus heating without frying food and their interaction were significant in terms of HNE formation.     

Carbon dioxide blanketing impedes the formation of 4‐hydroxynonenal and acrylamide during frying. A novel procedure for HNE quantification

Acrylamide and 4‐hydroxynonenal (HNE) are among the most detrimental compounds formed during high temperature processing of food. The effect of carbon dioxide blanketing (CDB) on the formation and accumulation in food of these compounds during deep‐fat frying was investigated. French fries were fried for 7 h daily and for 7 days in canola oil at 185 ± 5°C without and with CO₂ protection. The amount of acrylamide and HNE accumulated in the French fries were analyzed. Compared to standard frying conditions (SFC), frying under CDB reduced the amount of HNE by 62%. On the 3rd day of frying, the amount of acrylamide in fries fried under SFC was 3.3 times higher compared to frying with CO₂ protection. Frying with carbon dioxide protection is an effective and practical way to impede formation of toxic components during deep‐fat frying. To assess formation of HNE a simple, sensitive and reliable procedure for HNE analysis in frying oils and fried products was developed and evaluated. Practical applications : The toxicity of HNE and acrylamide, coupled with the increasing consumption of fried foods necessitates that measures be taken to reduce their formation and subsequent accumulation in fried foods. The frying method proposed in this study is very effective and requires only a simple modification to the fryer. Developed rapid and simple procedure for HNE analysis allows more accurate quantification.     

Performance of Regular and Modified Canola and Soybean Oils in Rotational Frying

Canola and soybean oils both regular and with modified fatty acid compositions by genetic modifications and hydrogenation were compared for frying performance. The frying was conducted at 185 ± 5 °C for up to 12 days where French fries, battered chicken and fish sticks were fried in succession. Modified canola oils, with reduced levels of linolenic acid, accumulated significantly lower amounts of polar components compared to the other tested oils. Canola oils generally displayed lower amounts of oligomers in their polar fraction. Higher rates of free fatty acids formation were observed for the hydrogenated oils compared to the other oils, with canola frying shortening showing the highest amount at the end of the frying period. The half-life of tocopherols for both regular and modified soybean oils was 1–2 days compared to 6 days observed for high-oleic low-linolenic canola oil. The highest anisidine values were observed for soybean oil with the maximum reached on the 10th day of frying. Canola and soybean frying shortenings exhibited a faster rate of color formation at any of the frying times. The high-oleic low-linolenic canola oil exhibited the greatest frying stability as assessed by polar components, oligomers and non-volatile carbonyl components formation. Moreover, food fried in the high-oleic low-linolenic canola oil obtained the best scores in the sensory acceptance assessment.     

Frying quality and stability of low-and ultra-low-linolenic acid soybean oils

To determine effects of very low levels of linolenic acid on frying stabilities of soybean oils, tests were conducted with 2% (low) linolenic acid soybean oil (LLSBO) and 0.8% (ultra-low) linolenic acid soybean oil (ULLSBO) in comparison with cottonseed oil (CSO). Potato chips were fried in the oils for a total of 25 h of oil use. No significant differences were found for either total polar compounds or FFA between samples of LLSBO and ULLSBO; however, CSO had significantly higher percentage of polar compounds and FFA than the soybean oils at all sampling times. Flavor evaluations of fresh and aged (1, 3, 5, and 7 wk at 25°C) potato chips showed some differences between potato chips fried in different oil types. Sensory panel judges reported that potato chips fried in ULLSBO and aged for 3 or 7 wk at 25°C had significantly lower intensities of fishy flavor than did potato chips fried in LLSBO with the same conditions. Potato chips fried in ULLSBO that had been used for 5 h and then aged 7 wk at 25°C had significantly better quality than did potato chips fried 5 h in LLSBO and aged under the same conditions. Hexanal was significantly higher in the 5-h LLSBO sample than in potato chips fried 5 h in ULLSBO. The decrease in linolenic acid from 2 to 0.8% in the oils improved flavor quality and oxidative stability of some of the potato chip samples.     

Composition of oils extracted from potato chips by supercritical fluid extraction

To determine effects of two extraction procedures on oil compositions, tocopherols, monoacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, triacylglycerol, free fatty acids, polymers and polar components were determined in oils after extraction from potato chips by either supercritical carbon dioxide or hexane. Potato chips were fried in cottonseed oil or low linolenic acid soybean oil and sampled after 1, 10 and 20 h of oil use. Both extraction methods recovered comparable amounts of oil from the potato chips. Compositions of triacylglycerol and non‐triacylglycerol components including tocopherols, monomer, polymer, monoacylglycerol, diacylglycerol were similar for samples of chips fried in either oil except for the δ‐tocopherol data for potato chips fried in the low linolenic acid soybean oil used for 10 h of frying. There were some differences between the composition of low linolenic acid soybean oil extracted from the potato chips compared to the fryer oil at the 20 h sampling time. These results showed that the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction gave similar results to hexane extraction in yield and composition of oils from potato chips.     

Storage stability of potato chips fried in genetically modified canola oils

The storage stability of potato chips fried in regular (RCO), hydrogenated (HYCO), low-linolenic (LLCO), and high-oleic (HOCO) canola oils was compared. Potato chips were fried in each oil over a 5-d period for a total of 40 h of frying. Chips from frying day 1 and 5 were packaged and stored at 60°C for 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 d. Lipids were extracted from the stored chips and analyzed for peroxide values, free fatty acids (FFA), conjugated dienoic acids (CDA), and polar components. A trained sensory panel evaluated the stored chips for odors characteristic of oxidation. Chips were also analyzed for volatile components. Potato chips fried in RCO, LLCO and HOCO developed an intense painty odor, whereas chips fried in HYCO developed an intense stale/musty odor by the end of the 16 d of storage. Chips fried in RCO had greater rates of accumulation of peroxides, FFA, CDA, and polar components and developed higher levels of total volatiles over the 16 d of storage than chips fried in the other three oils. Chips fried in HYCO had lower rates of accumulation of peroxides and CDA than chips fried in LLCO and HOCO, and lower rates of FFA accumulation than chips fried in LLCO. Chips fried in HYCO and HOCO had the lowest amounts of total volatiles during storage. The effect of oil degradation products on potato chip storage stability was not shown in this study since only the chips fried in HYCO from frying day 5 exhibited a significantly greater rate of off-odor development than chips from frying day 1, and only the chips fried in LLCO from frying day 5 had a greater rate of accumulation of volatiles than chips from frying day 1.     

Antioxidative effect of olive oil deodorizer distillate on frying oil and quality of potato chips

The antioxidative effect of unsaponifiable matter from olive oil deodorizer distillate on the stability of sunflower oil during frying and on the quality of potato chips were studied. Physical and chemical characteristics of sunflower oil samples with or without different concentrations of unsaponifiable matter were examined during frying at 180°C for ten consecutive days. The addition of 1% of unsaponifiable matter to sunflower oil showed the highest effect in retarding the oxidation deterioration of oil during frying of potato chips. This protective effect was attributed to high levels of squalene, Δ-avenasterol, and tocopherols. During ten frying days, the amount of squalene decreased to 79% and both tocopherols and Δ-avenasterol to 69% in frying sunflower oil. Oil absorbed by potato chips and the characteristics of the oil extracted from potato chips before and after three months of storage were determined. The amount of oil absorbed by potato chips ranged from 37.3 to 39.3% during frying. The unsaponifiable fractions remaining in the frying medium showed protective effects on the rate of oxidation of the oil extracted from potato chips. The uptake of unsaponifiable matter by chips was the highest during the first frying day. Chips with high amounts of squalene, tocopherols, and sterols showed highest antioxidative stability during storage for three months at ambient temperature. Potato chips fried in sunflower oil treated with 1% unsaponifiable matter showed a bright yellow colour, moderate crispness, high score flavour, and were well accepted by panelists. These data of sensory evaluation supported the results of chemical analyses of oil extracted from fresh and stored chips.     

Effects of frying on the trans‐fatty acid formation in soybean oils

To evaluate the effects of repeated deep‐frying on the trans‐fatty acid (TFA) formation in soybean oils, simultaneous frying experiments were carried out. French fries were prepared using three different types of soybean oil (pressed soybean oil, PSBO; first‐grade solvent extracted soybean oil, FG‐SESBO; and third‐grade solvent extracted soybean oil, TG‐SESBO). French fries were fried intermittently at 180–185°C for a total frying time of 32 h and at an interval time of 30 min. It was found that the initial amount of total TFAs was 0.29 g/100 g, 0.31 g/100 g, and 0.90 g/100 g in PSBO, TG‐SESBO, and FG‐SESBO, respectively. Before the frying started, the C18:1,t‐9, trans‐linoleic acid (TLA), trans‐linolenic acid (TLNA), and total TFA content of the PSBO and TG‐SESBO were significantly lower than in the FG‐SESBO (p<0.05). However, in the frying oil samples, the final concentration of total TFA in the PSBO, TG‐SESBO, and FG‐SESBO were 1.79 ± 0.17 g/100 g, 1.12 ± 0.10 g/100 g, and 1.70 ± 0.07 g/100 g, which was 6.17‐, 3.61‐, and 1.89‐fold higher that in fresh oil, respectively. The highest increasing slopes of C18:1,t‐9, TLA, TLNA, and total TFA were observed in the PSBO. Practical applications : A high intake of TFAs has been shown to lead to an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Plant oils, particularly soybean oil, have been widely used in the food industry in China. Frying is one of the most common methods to cook food. The formation of TFAs during frying has been shown to be closely related to the temperature and duration of the frying process. However, the effects of frying on the formation of TFAs in different soybean oils have not been well studied. In the present study, we demonstrated that increasing the number of frying cycles can cause an intensive increase in the concentration of TFAs in different types of soybean oil, but especially in PSBO.     

Hazard analysis and critical control point of frying – safety assurance of fried foods

Deep frying can pose hazards due to oil deterioration (oxidation, polymerization, hydrolysis) and harmful components formation such as trans fatty acids, highly oxidized or polymerized constituents of fatty acids and acrylamide. An analysis of safety hazards of the production of the potato chips and french fries, was carried out from potato harvesting until final products packaging according to hazard analysis and critical control point approach focusing mainly on the first three principles. Since frying is considered a critical control point, the critical limits for the frying temperature and for the potential hazards must be controlled in order to ensure fried products safety.     

Degradation and Nutritional Quality Changes of Oil During Frying

The changes in regular canola oil as affected by frying temperature were studied. French fries were fried intermittently in canola oil that was heated for 7 h daily over seven consecutive days. Thermo-oxidative alterations of the oil heated at 185 ± 5 or 215 ± 5 °C were measured by total polar components (TPC), anisidine value (AV), color components formation, and changes in fatty acid composition and tocopherols. Results showed that TPC, AV, color and trans fatty acid content increased significantly (P < 0.05) as a function of frying temperature and time. The oil polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) decreased in direct proportion to frying temperature and time. After 7 days of frying, the amount of PUFA was reduced by half and the trans isomers contribution increased 2.5 times during frying at 215 °C. Of the parameters assessed, total polar component and color had the highest correlation, with correlation coefficients of 0.9650 and 0.9302 for frying at 215 and 185 °C, respectively. TPC formation correlated inversely with the reduction of tocopherols.     

Antioxidative properties of phenolic acids and interaction with endogenous minor components during frying

The ability of selected phenolic acids to improve the frying performance of canola oil was evaluated in a frying test. The frying performance of the oil was assessed by analysis of total polar components (TPC), level of 4‐hydroxynonenal (HNE), and the rate of formation of volatile carbonyl compounds (VCC). All the tested phenolic acids; ferulic acid (FA), caffeic acid (CA), dihydrocaffeic acid (HCA), gallic acid (GA), and vanillic acid (VA) significantly increased the frying performance of canola oil triacylglycerols (CTG). At the end of the frying test, the amount of TPC in CTG was 22.9 ± 1.0% compared to a maximum of 18.8 ± 0.8% in CTG fortified with the phenolic acids. Similarly, the level of HNE was reduced by up to 45% when it was supplemented with phenolic acids. The results showed that ethyl ferulate (EF) was a better antioxidant than FA under frying conditions; HCA offered a slightly better protection than CA; and the cinnamic acid derivative, FA was better than VA, its benzoic acid analogue. A significant synergy was observed between phenolic acids and the sterol fraction isolated from canola oil. The observed synergy was attributed to the possible formation of steryl phenolates during the frying test. Practical applications: The poor thermal stability of polyunsaturated oils limits their application for prolonged frying. PUFA offer important health benefits and can improve nutritional value of fried foods. Contrary to the commonly applied synthetic antioxidants, the phenolic acids tested in this study often are part of endogenous oil components present in oilseeds and also in some oils, and are known for their positive health benefits. Thus, the simple phenolic acids, especially the cinnamic acid derivatives may be applied as potent antioxidants to protect oils during thermal processes used for food production.     

Formation and distribution of oxidized fatty acids during deep‐ and pan‐frying of potatoes

The formation of cis‐9,10‐epoxystearate, trans‐9,10‐epoxystearate, cis‐9,10‐epoxyoleate, cis‐12,13‐epoxyoleate, trans‐9,10‐epoxyoleate, trans‐12,13‐epoxyoleate and the co‐eluting 9‐ and 10‐ketostearates during eight successive pan‐ and deep‐frying sessions of pre‐fried potatoes in five different types of vegetable oils – namely cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, vegetable shortening, palm oil and virgin olive oil – was followed and quantified both in fried oils and in fried potatoes by GC/MS after derivatization to methyl esters. These oxidized fatty acids were present at relatively low concentrations in the fresh oils and pre‐fried potatoes while they increased linearly with frying time, reaching up to 1140.8 µg/g in virgin olive oil (VOO) and 186.9 µg/g in potatoes pan‐fried in VOO after eight pan‐frying sessions, with trans‐9,10‐epoxystearate predominating in all cases. The formation of polymerized triacylglycerols (PTG) was also quantified in frying oils by size exclusion HPLC. Pan‐frying caused higher oxidized fatty acid and PTG formation compared to deep‐frying. Epoxyoleates and PTG concentrations were increased after frying in polyunsaturated oils, while epoxystearate and 9‐ and 10‐ketostearate concentrations were increased after frying in monounsaturated oils. No specific absorption of the oxidized fatty acids by the fried potatoes seems to occur. The dietary intake of oxidized fatty acids and PTG by the consumption of fried potatoes was discussed.     

Formation of Alkylbenzenes and Tocochromanols Degradation in Sunflower Oil and in Fried Potatoes during Deep‐Frying and Pan‐Frying

Formation of toxic alkylbenzenes, total polar compounds (%TPC) and degradation of tocochromanol are monitored. Analyses of the oil extracted from fried potatoes confirm the trend observed in the frying oil. The fresh oil has a TPC content of 3%, which increases with the frying time, exceeding the acceptable value (25%) after about 25 h for deep‐frying and 1.5 h for pan‐frying. During deep‐frying, total tocochromanol decreases to about half (25 mg per 100 g) of the initial value, pan‐frying shows faster, degradation (complete after 1.5 h). Toluene concentration increases with the frying time reaching a maximum, and afterwards gradually decreases. Except for butylbenzene during pan‐frying, pentylbenzene and butylbenzene concentration, increase with the frying time, but remain much lower than toluene. Practical Applications: This is the first systematic work comparing alkylbenzenes evolution under different frying conditions. Different from previous works, frying experiments are carried out following the indication of many European countries that recommend using temperature lower than 180 °C. The amount of alkylbenzenes assumed through a standard portion of fried potatoes (200 g) is assessed, which is relevant for evaluating dietary exposure to these contaminants.     

Frying of Potatoes: Physical,Chemical, and Microstructural Changes

Frying is one of the oldest unit operations and is used not only in industry but also at home. The most commonly fried vegetable is potato, for important commercial products such as potato chips, par-fried potatoes, and french fries. Quality parameters of interest for fried potatoes include physical and chemical properties such as color, mechanical properties (e.g., crispness, hardness, etc.), structural properties (e.g., porosity and roughness), oil content, and water content, among others. Some chemical contaminants such as acrylamide and furan are heat-generated during the frying of potato slices or strips, leading to final fried pieces with considerable amounts of these contaminants. The controllable variables in industrial frying processes are generally potato variety, oil type, frying time, and frying temperature. Therefore, the study of the quality changes during frying is critical because knowledge regarding kinetics parameters will enable prediction of the final quality in fried potatoes and improvements in the final product value by selecting properly the processing conditions. Finally, modern techniques such as computer vision provide valuable tools to quantify and predict physical and chemical properties of potato pieces during frying in a fast and noninvasive way. In addition, computer vision can allow us to classify fried potatoes in different quality classes previously determined by sensorial panels.     

Addition of ferulic acid,ethyl ferulate,and feruloylated monoacyl- and diacylglycerols to salad oils and frying oils

To determine antioxidative effects of ferulic acid and esterified ferulic acids, these compounds were added to soybean oils (SBO), which were evaluated for oxidative stability and frying stability. Additives included feruloylated MAG and DAG (FMG/FDG), ferulic acid, ethyl ferulate, and TBHQ. After frying tests with potato chips, oils were analyzed for retention of additives and polar compounds. Chips were evaluated for hexanal and rancid odor. After 15 h frying, 71% of FMG/FDG was retained, whereas 55% of ethyl ferulate was retained. TBHQ and ferulic acid levels were 6% and <1%, respectively. Frying oils with ethyl ferulate or TBHQ produced significantly less polar compounds than SBO with no additives. Chips fried in SBO with TBHQ or ferulic acid had significantly lower amounts of hexanal and significantly less rancid odor after 8 d at 60°C than other samples. Oils were also aged at 60°C, and stability was analyzed by PV, hexanal, and rancid odor. Oils with TBHQ or FMG/FDG had significantly less peroxides and hexanal, and a lower rancid odor intensity than the control. FMG/FDG inhibited deterioration at 60°C, whereas ethyl ferulate inhibited the formation of polar compounds in frying oil. Ferulic acid acted as an antioxidant in aged fried food. TBHQ inhibited oil degradation at both temperatures. Presented at the 94th AOCS Meeting & Expo, Kansas City, MO, May 4–7, 2003.     

Simultaneous determination of lipophilic aldehydes by high-performance liquid chromatography in vegetable oil

A very sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the simultaneous separation and measurement of nonpolar and polar lipophilic secondary lipid peroxidation products in vegetable oil. Seventeen nonpolar and 13 polar lipophilic aldehydes and related carbonyl compounds, derived from thermally oxidized soybean oil as 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazones, were separated simultaneously by reversed-phase HPLC. Detection limit for the individual compounds is 1 ng. Thirteen of the nonpolar carbonyl compounds were identified as: butanal, 2-butanone, pentanal, 2-pentanone, hexenal, hexanal, 2,4-heptadienal, 2-heptenal, octanal, 2-nonenal, 2,4-decadienal, decanal, and undecanal. Three of the polar carbonyl compounds were identified as: 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal, 4-hydroxy-2-octenal, and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. The detection of the toxic 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, a major compound, and 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal, a minor compound, in heated soybean oil is of particular importance because these toxic compounds have been shown to be absorbed from the diet.     

Performance evaluation of hexane-extracted oils from genetically modified soybeans

Soybeans produced by induced mutation breeding and hybridization were cracked, flaked and hexane-extracted, and the recovered crude oils were processed to finished edible oils by laboratory simulations of commercial oil-processing procedures. Three lines yielded oils containing 1.7, 1.9 and 2.5% linolenic acid. These low-linolenic acid oils were evaluated along with oil extracted from the cultivar Hardin, grown at the same time and location, and they were processed at the same time. The oil from Hardin contained 6.5% linolenic acid. Low-linolenic acid oils showed improved flavor stability in accelerated storage tests after 8 d in the dark at 60°C and after 8h at 7500 lux at 30°C, conditions generally considered in stress testing. Room odor testing indicated that the low-linolenic oils showed significantly lower fishy odor after 1 h at 190°C and lower acrid/pungent odor after 5 h. Potatoes were fried in the oils at 190°C after 5, 10 and 15 h of use. Overall flavor quality of the potatoes fried in the low-linolenic oils was good and significantly better after all time periods than that of potatoes fried in the standard oil. No fishy flavors were perceived with potatoes fried in the low-linolenic oils. Total volatile and polar compound content of all heated oils increased with frying hours, with no significant differences observed. After 15 h of frying, the free fatty acid content in all oils remained below 0.3%. Lowering the linolenic acid content of soybean oil by breeding was particularly beneficial for improved oil quality during cooking and frying. Flavor quality of fried foods was enhanced with these low-linolenic acid oils.     

Effect of vacuum frying on the oxidative stability of oils

The purpose of this study was to evaluate frying oil quality with different assessment methods during vacuum frying of carrot slices. In six consecutive days, palm oil, lard, and soybean oil were fried under vacuum at 105°C for 20 min each hour in an 8-h shift. Peroxide value, acid value, carbonyl value, total polar components, dielectric constant (Food Oil Sensor reading), viscosity, and fatty acid composition were used to evaluate the quality of these oils. Results showed that palm oil and lard possess greater thermal stability than soybean oil. The decrease in C_18:2/C_16:0 ratio was greater for soybean oil than the other two oils. Of the assessment methods used, peroxide value, carbonyl value, total polar components, and dielectric constant all showed good correlation with frying time and between each other. Viscosity was suitable to assess vacuum-fried lard and soybean oil, but not palm oil. The measurement of dielectric constant, on the other hand, appeared to be unsuitable to assess vacuum-fried soybean oil.