Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #119869

Title: EFFECT OF TOCOPHEROL ON THE STABILITY OF FRIED FOOD

Author
item Warner, Kathleen
item Neff, William
item BYRDWELL, W - FLORIDA ATLANTIC U, FL
item Eller, Fred

Submitted to: Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2001
Publication Date: 5/16/2001
Citation: WARNER, K.A., NEFF, W.E., BYRDWELL, W.C., ELLER, F.J. EFFECT OF TOCOPHEROL ON THE STABILITY OF FRIED FOOD. ANNUAL MEETING AND EXPO OF THE AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS' SOCIETY. 2001.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: To determine the effect of gamma tocopherol on the stability of fried food, potatoes were fried in triolein with 0, 100 or 400 ppm gamma tocopherol. Potato chips were sampled after 1, 3 and 6 hours of frying time and were then aged for 0, 2, and 4 days at 60C. They were evaluated for odor by sensory analysis and for volatile compounds by purge and trap gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Oil sampled after 1, 3 and 6 hours of frying time from the fryer was evaluated for total polar compounds, nonvolatile degradation products and level of gamma tocopherol. Oil extracted from the potato chips was analyzed for nonvolatile degradation products and level of gamma tocopherol. Results showed that gamma tocopherol inhibited the oxidation of the fried food; however, this positive effect was only observed when residual gamma tocopherol was present in the frying oil or potato chips. The level of gamma tocopherol disappeared rapidly with no trace of the original 100 ppm level detectable after the triolein was used for 3 hours of frying. Odor analysis of the aged potato chips showed that samples with no gamma tocopherol had a rancid odor after aging for 4 days. Potato chips with greater amounts of gamma tocopherol had no off-odors; however, as the level of gamma tocopherol decreased in the triolein and in the potato chips a plastic odor characteristic of oxidized triolein was detected. Size exclusion chromatography showed increasing levels of nonvolatile degradation products in samples with decreasing amounts of gamma tocopherol.