Oxidative stability of soybean oils with altered fatty acid compositions

The oxidative stabilities of one canola oil and six soybean oils of various fatty acid compositions were compared in terms of peroxide values, conjugated dienoic acid values and sensory evaluations. Two of the soybean oils (Hardin and BSR 101) were from common commercial varieties. The other four soybean oils were from experimental lines developed in a mutation breeding program at Iowa State University that included A17 with 1.5% linolenate and 15.2% palmitate; A16 with 2% linolenate and 10.8% palmitate; A87-191039 with 2% linolenate and 29.6% oleate; and A6 with 27.5% stearate. Seed from the soybean genotypes was cold pressed. Crude canola oil was obtained without additives. All oils were refined, bleached and deodorized under laboratory conditions with no additives and stored at 60°C for 15 days. The A17, A16, A87-191039 and A6 oils were generally more stable to oxidation than the commercial soybean varieties and canola oil as evaluated by chemical and sensory tests. Canola oil was much less stable than Hardin and BSR 101 oils by both chemical and sensory tests. The peroxide values and flavor scores of oils were highly correlated with the initial amounts of linolenate (r=0.95, P=0.001). Flavor quality and flavor intensity had negative correlations with linolenate, (r=−0.89, P=0.007) and (r=−0.86, P=0.013), 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.     

Frying stability of soybean and canola oils with modified fatty acid compositions

Pilot plant-processed samples of soybean and canola (lowerucic acid rapeseed) oil with fatty acid compositions modified by mutation breeding and/or hydrogenation were evaluated for frying stability. Linolenic acid contents were 6.2% for standard soybean oil, 3.7% for low-linolenic soybean oil and 0.4% for the hydrogenated low-linolenic soybean oil. The linolenic acid contents were 10.1% for standard canola oil, 1.7% for canola modified by breeding and 0.8% and 0.6% for oils modified by breeding and hydrogenation. All modified oils had significantly (P<0.05) less room odor intensity after initial heating tests at 190°C than the standard oils, as judged by a sensory panel. Panelists also judged standard oils to have significantly higher intensities for fishy, burnt, rubbery, smoky and acrid odors than the modified oils. Free fatty acids, polar compounds and foam heights during frying were significantly (P<0.05) less in the low-linolenic soy and canola oils than the corresponding unmodified oils after 5 h of frying. The flavor quality of french-fried potatoes was significantly (P<0.05) better for potatoes fried in modified oils than those fried in standard oils. The potatoes fried in standard canola oil were described by the sensory panel as fishy.     

Antipolymerization activity of oat extract in soybean and cottonseed oils under frying conditions

A methanolic extract of Noble oat (Avena sativa L.) was tested for its antipolymerization activity in soybean and cottonseed oils heated to 180°C for 10 h per day for 10 d and for its carry-through properties in fried bread cubes. The soybean and cottonseed oils containing 0.005 or 0.007% oat extract (based on total phenolic content) formed significantly lesser amounts of polar compounds with high molecular weight than did the oils containing 0.02% tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), 1 ppm dimethylpolysiloxane (DMS) and oils containing no additives (control) as measured by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography. Fatty acid composition, also monitored, showed that oils with either level of oat extract maintained a significantly higher linoleic-to-palmitic acid ratio (18∶2/16∶0) than did the other treatments. Oil extracted from bread cubes fried (180°C) in oils containing TBHQ and oat extract and then stored at 60°C in the dark for up to 14 d had significantly lower (P≤0.05) peroxide values and higher (P≤0.05) 18∶2/16∶0 ratios than did oil extracted from cubes fried in oil containing DMS and in the control oil.     

Oxidative stabilities of soybean oils with elevated palmitate and reduced linolenate contents

Oils from soybean lines, developed to contain different amounts of palmitate (16:0) and linolenate (18:3), were evaluated for oxidative stability. Oils were extracted in the laboratory from the soybean seeds and refined, bleached, and deodorized. Two replications, separated at the point of conditioning, were evaluated for each genotype, including Hardin 91 (normal beans), P9322 (10.6% 16:0 and <2.6% 18:3), A91-282036 (26.3% 16:0 and 9.8% 18:3), and HPLL (23.2% 16:0 and 3.5 % 18:3). Elevating 16:0 and/or lowering 18:3 increased the oxidative stability of soybean oils as measured by peroxide values. Soybean oils with elevated 16:0 had higher solidification temperatures than did oils with normal 16:0 content, and soybean oils with low 18:3 content had higher solidification temperatures than did oils with normal 18:3 contents.     

High-temperature stabilities of oils from soybeans that lack lipoxygenases

Oils from normal or low-linolenic acid (18:3) soybeans that lack lipoxygenase (LOX) 2 or LOX 2 plus LOX 3 activities were evaluated for their stability during frying and for oxidative stability in bread cubes stored after frying. Soybean oils were extracted by a pilot-plant system and were refined, bleached, and deodorized in the laboratory. Citric acid was added to oils during the cool-down stage of deodorization. Two replications, separated at the point of conditioning, were evaluated for each genotype. Each sample (250 g) was heated to 180±5°C in a minifryer. Bread cubes were fried at the beginning of heating and after 20 h of heating. Heating of the oils was continued for 10 h each day for three consecutive days. Soybean oils with low 18:3 contents were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) more stable, as measured by conjugated dienoic acids and polymer values, than were oils with normal 18:3 contents. Low-LOX 2 or low-LOX 2 + 3 activity had no effect on peroxide values of soybean oils extracted from bread cubes. Sensory evaluation did not differentiate between oils that contained low or high 18:3 amounts or among oils from beans that lacked different LOX enzymes.     

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.     

Effects of frying oil composition on potato chip stability

Potato chips were fried in six canola (low-erucic acid rape-seed) oils under pilot-plant process settings that represented commercial conditions. Oil samples included an unmodified canola oil and oils with fatty acid compositions modified by mutation breeding or hydrogenation. Chips were fried for a 2-d, 18-h cycle for each oil. Chips and oil were sampled periodically for sensory, gas-chromatographic volatiles and chemical analyses. Unmodified canola oil produced chips with lower flavor stability and oxidative stability than the other oils. The hydrogenated oil imparted a typical hydrogenation flavor to the chips that slightly affected overall quality. the modified canola oil (IMC 129) with the highest oleic acid level (78%) had the lowest content of total polar compounds and the lowest total volatile compounds at most of the storage times; however, the sensory quality of the potato chip was only fair. The potato chip with the best flavor stability was fried in a modified/blended oil (IMC 01-4.5/129) with 68% oleic acid, 20% linoleic acid and 3% linolenic acid.     

High-temperature stabilities of low-linolenate,high-stearate and common soybean oils

Four soybean oils (SBO) with different fatty acid (FA) compositions were tested for stability during intermittent heating and frying of bread cubes. None of the oils was hydrogenated or contained any additives. Two of the oils were from common commercial varieties. The other two oils were from seed developed in a mutation breeding program and included the line A5, which contained 3.5% linolenate, and the line A6, which contained 20% stearate. Each oil (450 g) was heated to 185 C in a minifryer. Bread cubes were fried at the beginning of heating, and half were stored at −10 C to preserve freshness. The second half was stored at 60 C for 14 days. Heating was continued for 10 hr/day for four days. After 40 hr of heating, an additional 30 g of bread cubes were fried. According to sensory evaluations of the fried bread cubes, peroxide values of oil extracted from the cubes and conjugated diene values of the oils, the A5 and A6 oils were more stable than those from the commercial varieties. Small differences occurred in the flavor and oxidative stability of the cubes fried after 40 hr of heating the oils. Large differences between A5 and A6 and the commercial varieties occurred after storage of bread cubes for 14 days.     

Sensory and chemical stability of tortilla chips fried in canola oil,corn oil,and partially hydrogenated soybean oil

The effects of canola, corn, partially hydrogenated soy (PHS), partially hydrogenated canola (PHC), and low-linolenate canola (LLC) oils on sensory and chemical attributes of tortilla chips were determined initially, after Schaal storage for 8 and 16 d (S8 and S16), and after practical storage for 16 and 24 wk (P16 and P24). Fresh chips were similar to each other in characteristic and off-odors/flavors, except that PHC chips had the lowest characteristic and highest off-odor/flavor. All S8 chips had similar lower (P<0.001) characteristic and greater off-odor/flavor scores than hidden reference chips, but PHC chips had a more intense off-odor than did LLC chips. After S16, canola chips had the lowest (P<0.001) characteristic and highest off-odor/flavor; all other chips were similar. At P16, canola, PHC, and LLC chips had slightly higher (P<0.001) characteristic odor/flavor scores than other chips. After P16 and P24, all stored tortilla chips had lower characteristic odor/flavor scores than hidden reference chips. Rancid, painty, buttery odor/flavor, and bitter flavor notes were detected in Schaal and practically stored chips. Stored chips from all oils were similar in color and crispness. The peroxide value and thep-anisidine value for oils extracted from Schaal-stored chips tended to support panelist data; results from similar analyses of practically stored chips did not. Peroxide values andp-anisidine values for stored used frying oils and the corresponding sensory data for stored chips generally did not agree. Results indicate considerable potential for increasing use of canola oil products for frying tortilla chips.     

Quantification of carbonyl compounds in oxidized low-linolenate,high-stearate and common soybean oils

The carbonyl compounds in five oxidized soybean oils (SBO) of various fatty acid compositions were determined. Three were from common normal soybean varieties, and two were from lines developed from new mutant varieties. One mutant line had a linolenate (18:3) content of 3.5% (A5), and one had a stearate (18:0) content of 24% (A6). SBO were stored at 28 C and 60 C. Trichlorophenylhydrazones (TCPH) of carbonyls formed during oxidation were quantified and tentatively identified by gas chromatography. The storage temperature and the composition of the oils affected the types and amounts of volatiles produced. Hexanal was the major volatile in the oils in both storage tests. After 60 C storage, 2- and/or 3-hexenal was present only in the oil with the highest 18:3 content (BSR 101, 18:3=9%). The amounts of the carbonyls formed in A5 were 2 to 5 times less than the amounts formed in BSR 101. The amounts of many of the carbonyls were converted into relative flavor potency by using reported data. Hexanal was the major contributor to flavor. After storage at 28 C, 2- and/or 3-hexenal was the second most intense flavor compound regardless of the 18:3 content of the oil. The amount of a compound and the threshold value did not always predict its flavor importance according to the flavor potency data.     

Chemical and sensory properties of gas-purged,minimum-refined,extruded-expelled soybean oil

Developing low-cost oil refining methods is critical to business that use low-cost extrusion-expelling (E-E) to crush soybeans so they can capture the full value-added potential by marketing finished oils. Normal commodity (CO) and high-oleic (HO) E-E soybean oils were minimum-refined, gas-purged, and evaluated in frying applications. Degummed commodity oil (DCO) and minimum-refined (degummed and deacidified by Magnesol® adsorption) CO and HO oils were gas-purged with N₂ for 1 h at 150°C. For DCO, gas purging did not affect PV, oxidative stability index (OSI), FFA, color, and total tocopherol content, but p-anisidine value (AV) increased. For CO, the minimum-refined, gas-purged oil did not differ from degummed, gas-purged oil in terms of p-AV, OSI, tocopherol content, and color. PV and FFA were lower in minimum-refined, gas-purged oil. Minimum-refined, gas-purged HO had much higher OSI, tocopherol, and FFA levels than did minimum-refined, gas-purged CO. The oils were used to fry bread cubes at 185°C. Fried bread cubes were stored under various conditions and evaluated for flavor attributes. These oils were different in toasty/nutty, beany/grassy, and oxidized flavors, as well as overall flavor intensity and desirability. Minimum-refined, gas-purged oils produced fried bread cubes having initial flavor profiles similar to those fried in commercial oil; however, when fresh oils were used they were less stable to oxidation. Longer heating times of the minimum-refined, gas-purged oils produced bread cubes with better oxidative stabilities than those produced with commercial oil.     

Effects of hydrogenation and additives on cooking oil performance of soybean oil

Soybean oil was continuously hydrogenated in a slurry system to investigate the effects of linolenate content and additives on cooking oil performance. Room odor evaluations carried out on oils heated to 190 C after frying bread cubes showed that the oils hydrogenated with Cu catalyst to 2.4% linolenate (Cu-2.4) and with Ni catalyst to 4.6 linolenate (Ni-4.6) had a significantly lower odor intensity score than the unhydrogenated soybean oil (SBO). Other hydrogenated oils (Cu-0.5 and Ni-2.7) were not significantly better than SBO. Oil hydrogenated with Ni (Ni-0.4) scored poorly because of its strong “hydrogenated-paraffin” odor. The performance of all partially hydrogenated oils (2.4, 2.7 and 4.6% linolenate) was improved by adding methyl silicone (MS), but the most hydrogenated oils (0.5 and 0.4% linolenate) were not improved. Although with tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) no improvement was obtained, with the combination of TBHQ + MS all odor scores were lower, indicating a synergistic effect. Evaluations of bread cubes after intermittent heating and frying showed that the breads fried in most hydrogenated oils (Ni-0.4, Cu-2.4 and Ni-2.7) were rated significantly better in flavor quality than breads fried in SBO. The bread cubes fried in MS-treated oils had significantly higher flavor quality scores than breads fried in SBO or SBO containing TBHQ. Dimer analyses by gel permeation chromatography and color development after heat treatments also did not correlate with sensory analyses.     

Sensory stability of canola oil: Present status of shelf life studies

Sensory studies on autoxidation of canola oil, stored under several variations of Schaal Oven test conditions, suggest an induction period of 2–4 d at 60–65°C. Similar induction periods have been observed between canola and sunflower oils, whereas a longer induction period has been found for soybean oil. Canola oil seems to be more stable to storage in light than cottonseed and soybean oils but is less stable than sunflower oil. Storage stability of products fried in canola oil is similar to products fried in soybean oil. Storage stability of canola and cottonseed oils that had been used in the frying of potato chips showed that canola oil was more prone to autoxidation during storage at 40°C. The presence of light aggravated the oxidative effects and was similar for both oils. Advances in our knowledge about the shelf life of canola oil would be strengthened by standardization of Schaal Oven testing conditions and by specifying the testing protocol for photooxidation studies. Methods for training of panelists and for handling and evaluating oils and fried foods require definition. Rating scales used in the evaluation of oils need to be evaluated to ensure that reliable and valid measurements are achieved. Further progress is needed in the identification of chemical indicators that can be used to predict sensory quality of oils. Presented in part at AOCS Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, May 1992.     

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.     

Review of stability measurements for frying oils and fried food flavor

Measurements of degradation in frying oils based on oil physical properties and volatile and nonvolatile decomposition products were reviewed. Rapid methods by means of test kits were also considered. Factors that affect the analysis of total polar components (TPC) in frying oils were examined. Relationships between TPC, free fatty acid (FFA) content, Food Oil Sensor readings (FOS), color change (ΔE), oil fry life and fried-food flavor were evaluated. Flavor scores for codfish, fried in fresh and discarded commercial frying oil blends, were dependent upon individuals in the consumer panel (n=77). Part (n=29) of the panel preferred the flavor of fresh fat; others (n=24) didn't; the rest (n=24) had no preference. FFA, FOS and TPC were analyzed in two soybean oils and in palm olein during a four-day period in which french fries were fried. Flavor score and volatiles of potatoes fried on days 1 and 4 in each oil were also determined. TPC, FFA and FOS significantly increased (P<0.05) in all oils during the frying period. TPC and FFA were highest in the used palm olein, and flavor of potatoes fried in palm olein on day 1 was less desirable than those fried in the soybean oils. Potatoes fried in day-1 oils had significantly higher concentrations (P<0.10) of several pyrazines and aldehydes than those fried in day-4 oils. Presented at the 84th Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists' Society, Anaheim, California, April 25–29, 1993.     

Low-linolenic acid soybean oil—Alternatives to frying oils

Oil was hexane-extracted from soybeans that had been modified by hybridization breeding for low-linolenic acid (18∶3) content. Extracted crude oils were processed to finished edible oils by laboratory simulations of commercial oil processing procedures. Oils from three germplasm lines N83-375 (5.5% 18∶3), N89-2009 (2.9% 18∶3) and N85-2176 (1.9% 18∶3) were compared to commercial unhydrogenated soybean salad oil with 6.2% 18∶3 and two hydrogenated soybean frying oils, HSBOI (4.1% 18∶3) and HSBOII (<0.2% 18∶3). Low-18∶3 oils produced by hybridization showed significantly lower room odor intensity scores than the commercial soybean salad oil and the commercial frying oils. The N85-2176 oil with an 18∶3 content below 2.0% showed no fishy odor after 10 h at 190°C and lower burnt and acrid odors after 20 h of use when compared to the commercial oils. Flavor quality of potatoes fried with the N85-2176 oil at 190°C after 10 and 20 h was good, and significantly better at both time periods than that of potatoes fried in the unhydrogenated oil or in the hydrogenated oils. Flavor quality scores of potatoes fried in the N89-2009 oil (2.9% 18∶3) after 10 and 20 h was good and equal to that of potatoes fried in the HSBOI oil (4.1% 18∶3). Fishy flavors, perceived with potatoes fried in the low-18∶3 oils, were significantly lower than those reported for potatoes fried in the unhydrogenated control oil, and the potatoes lacked the hydrogenated flavors of potatoes fried in hydrogenated oils. These results indicate that oils with lowered linolenic acid content produced by hybridization breeding of soybeans are potential alternatives to hydrogenated frying oils.     

Relationship between seed mass and linolenic acid in progeny of crosses between cultivated and wild soybean

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] oil from current commercial cultivars typically contains ca. 8% linolenic acid (18:3). Applications of plant biotechnology have enabled plant breeders to develop germplasm having as low as 2.0% 18:3. Oils that are naturally low in 18:3 exhibited improved flavor characteristics and greater oxidative stability in high-temperature frying applications compared to hydrogenated soybean oil. As an extension of that research, efforts are underway to characterize genes in soybean that govern expression of higher than normal 18:3 concentration. Such oils may be of interest to the oleochemicals industry for various nonfood applications. Relatively high 18:3 in seed oil is a characteristic trait of the ancestor of modern soybean cultivars, Glycine soja (Sieb. and Zucc.). Accessions of this species have rarely been utilized in soybean improvement, and thus represent a virtually untapped genetic resource for genes governing 18:3 synthesis. We have hybridized cultivated soybean with wild soybean plant introductions. F_3:4 seed from the resultant G. max × G. soja populations exhibited a wide segregation pattern for 18:3 and seed mass. A strong negative association was found between 18:3 concentration and seed mass. Oil concentration was positively correlated with seed mass. Evaluation of glycerolipid composition revealed that high 18:3 was not associated with an altered proportion of phospholipid and triacylglycerol among lines segregating for seed mass. Thus, smaller seed mass may be a convenient trait to distinguish future soybean cultivars with highly polyunsaturated oils from other cultivars in production.     

Improving the oxidative stability of polyunsaturated vegetable oils by blending with high-oleic sunflower oil

Mixing different proportions of high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) with polyunsaturated vegetable oils provides a simple method to prepare more stable edible oils with a wide range of desired fatty acid composition. Oxidative stability of soybean, canola and corn oils, blended with different proportions of HOSO to lower the respective levels of linolenate and linoleate, was evaluated at 60°C. Oxidation was determined by two methods: peroxide value and volatiles (hexanal and propanal) by static headspace capillary gas chromatography. Determination of hexanal and propanal in mixtures of vegetable oils provided a sensitive index of linoleate and linolenate oxidation, respectively. Our evaluations demonstrated that all-cis oil compositions of improved oxidative stability can be formulated by blening soybean, canola and corn oils with different proportions of HOSO. On the basis of peroxide values, a partially hydrogenated soybean oil containing 4.5% linolenate was more stable than the mixture of soybean oil and HOSO containing 4.5% linolenate. However, on the basis of volatile analysis, mixtures of soybean and HOSO containing 2.0 and 4.5% linolenate were equivalent or better in oxidative stability than the hydrogenated soybean oil. Mixtures of canola oil and HOSO containing 1 and 2% linolenate had the same or better oxidative stability than did the hydrogenated canola oil containing 1% linolenate. These studies suggest that we can obviate catalytic hydrogenation of linolenate-containing vegetable oils by blending with HOSO. Presented at the AOCS/JOCS joint meeting, Anaheim, CA, April 25–29, 1993.     

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.