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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313250
Title: Absorption and stability of annatto tocotrienols in fried tortilla chips

Author
item Moser, Jill
item Bakota, Erica

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/11/2015
Publication Date: 7/14/2015
Citation: Winkler-Moser, J.K., Bakota, E.L. 2015. Absorption and stability of annatto tocotrienols in fried tortilla chips [abstract]. Institute of Food Technologists.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Vegetable oils used for frying are excellent sources of tocopherols, also known as Vitamin E. Tocotrienols are also members of the Vitamin E family, but most commodity oils used for frying, with the exception of palm oil, have little to no tocotrienols. Recent studies have indicated that tocotrienols may have health effects beyond acting as an antioxidant in the blood and in cells. The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of annatto tocotrienols, which contain primarily delta tocotrienol, added to frying oils, their incorporation into fried tortilla chips, and their impact on chip shelf stability. Annatto tocotrienols were added to mid-oleic sunflower oil, and three fry studies were conducted for three days each. The descriptive sensory panel evaluated the flavor of fresh chips for as well as chips stored for three weeks at 40 ºC. After three days of frying, 73% of the delta tocotrienols were retained in the frying oil. In the control oil, 72% of the endogenous alpha tocopherol was retained, while a slightly higher amount (80%) was retained in the frying oils with annatto tocotrienols. The incorporation of tocopherols and tocotrienols into fried chips over frying time were consistent with the trends in the frying oils. The addition of annatto tocotrienols did not have a significant impact on the flavor of fresh chips, but after three weeks of storage, chips fried in oil with annatto tocotrienols had a significantly lower "painty" flavor score as well as lower headspace hexanal. These results indicate that frying oil may be a suitable medium for the incorporation of tocotrienols into the diet via fried snack foods. Added tocotrienols also had a slight protective effect on the native Vitamin E and may enhance the shelf stability of fried snack foods.