Acrolein content of thermally degraded edible oil.

• Main Authors: Arboleda, Jan Paul, Fernandez, Margarita, Florendo, Cherry Rose
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2000
• Subjects: Acrolein; Oils and fats, Edible.
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10198
• Institution: De La Salle University

Acrolein is the simplest a.B-unsaturated aldehyde. It is considered to be toxic. Past studies have indicated that oil heated at a temperature of 163-200 C contains acrolein, as determined from the volatiles present at the headspace of the fryer. This research study considers the acrolein in the local edible oil, primarily coconut oil, used by the chosen food stand. The chosen food stand fries meat, particularly pork and chicken, for 6-10 hours at 160-180 C. The primary goal is to determine the amount of acrolein present in the oil and the amount transferred to the food fried in the oil. With the lethal dose set by EPA of 50 mg/kg body weight for acrolein, it will be determined whether the amount of acrolein in the food fried by the particular food stand poses a threat to the health of the consumers. The study also looks at whether the food fried in the oil and the mode in which the oil is heated has any effect on the formation of acrolein in heated oil. From the chosen food stand, four (4) oil samples were taken for every batch of oil used. The mercurimetric oxidation method used by Ruch and Johnson was employed to determine the amount of acrolein present in oil. Replication of the process without frying determined the amount of acrolein present in oil. Replication of the process without frying determined whether the food has any effect on the formation of acrolein. Oil similar to the local edible oil of the particular food stand was subject to sudden and gradual heating to determine whether the mode of heating has any effect on the formation of acrolein. Results show that the acrolein content of the local edible oil under study is within the range of 8-19 mg/kg body weight, still way below the lethal dose. It has been found that the food fried and the mode in which the oil is heated has an effect on the formation of acrolein in the oil.