Abstract

The oil quality used in deep frying can affect both, the fried food properties and the consumer’s health. In the present work, the frying oils quality in some fast-food restaurants in Batna city (Algeria) is evaluated. To assess the oils quality, the following physicochemical parameters are analyzed: refractive index, density, viscosity, smoke point, the peroxide value, the acid value and the level of polar compounds which were applied in order to control sample prepared in the laboratory and those collected from ten fast food restaurants. The results showed that two out of ten samples of different fast-food restaurants are unfit for frying and must be renewed and this taking into account the results of most parameters that exceed the recommended specifications, while taking into account the level of polar compounds, four out of ten of the samples are non-compliant with the standards recommended for oils. Thus, they have either been used more than nine times or in frying adverse conditions. For that, the frying remains an operation simple to be made, but complex to be mastered, seen the reactions interfering between the oil and the environmental factors as well as between the oil and the food. So it’s essential to focus rather on the frying conditions.

Authors and Affiliations