Performance of palm olein and modified rapeseed, sunflower, and soybean oils in intermittent deep-frying

The frying performance of rapeseed, soybean, and sunflower oils with modified fatty acid composition, and palm olein (PALMO) was compared during a rotational frying operation. The frying was conducted at 1855 degrees C for 6 days where French fries, battered chicken, and fish sticks were fried in succession. At the end of the frying period, high-oleic rapeseed and sunflower oils exhibited a significantly higher frying stability than PALMO and other modified oils, based on total polar components (TPC), polymers, and non-volatile carbonyl compounds formation (anisidine value (AV)). The rate of TPC formation was 2.9, 2.9, 3.2, 3.2, and 3.4% per frying day for high-oleic low-linolenic rapeseed (HOLLRAP), high-oleic sunflower (HOSUN), mid-oleic sunflower (MOSUN), low-linolenic soybean (LLSOY), and PALMO, respectively. Although the contents of free fatty acids (FFA) in the used oils were significantly below the regulatory discard level, in PALMO formation of these compounds was 1.7 times higher compared to the modified oils. Color component formation and tocopherol degradation were also observed to be the highest in palm olein. A 15-member consumer panel awarded HOLLRAP and HOSUN the highest overall sensory acceptance scores, while for LLSOY and PALMO the lowest. Practical applications: Although several frying oils are available in today's market, only a few of them can deliver satisfactory performance during extended frying operation. Thus, the search for the ideal frying oils/fats is an ongoing task. The present study assessed frying performance in the quest for the appropriate frying oils/fats in order to deliver healthy fried products with optimized nutritional qualities.