Composition, stability and acceptability of different vegetable oils used for frying peanuts

The purpose of this work was to determine the chemical stability of vegetable oils in the frying process and the consumer acceptance of fried-salted peanuts prepared in different vegetable oils. Fatty acids composition was determined in sunflower, corn, soybean, peanut and olive oils. A chemical study (free fatty acid and p-anisidine values) of these oils at frying temperature (170 °C) was developed during 96 h. Consumer test of fresh products was performed on fried-salted peanuts prepared in the different oils. Peanut oil and virgin olive oil presented oleic acid as predominant fatty acid (44.8% and 64.2%, respectively), making it more resistant to lipid oxidation at frying temperature than the other refined vegetable oils (sunflower, corn and soybean oils). Virgin olive and peanut oils showed less increment of free fatty acids and p-anisidine value than the other oils along the heating essay. In addition, fried-salted peanuts prepared with refined peanut oil showed higher consumer acceptance than those prepared with other vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, soybean and olive oils. Peanut oil could be used to fry peanuts obtaining products with higher consumer acceptance and shelf-life, thus preventing loss of their sensory and nutritional quality.