Stability of fat‐soluble vitamins and PUFA in simulated shallow‐frying

Abstract

AbstractFat‐soluble vitamins and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are nutrients that are sensitive to heat treatment and oxidation and therefore can be partly lost during cooking. It is well‐documented that a long‐term deep‐frying process leads to a substantial degradation of PUFA and vitamins in a frying medium. In this study, the stability of vitamins and fatty acids was investigated in a series of liquid margarines (82% fat) varying in fat blend and the content of minor components. The tested samples were subjected to the standardised treatment that has been developed to mimic shallow‐frying of food at 180°C and the recovery of individual nutrients is reported. The results show that fat‐soluble vitamins possessed reasonable stability under the condition of the shallow‐frying test. Essential PUFA of the frying medium were hardly affected by the treatment. Overall evaluation of the results suggests that oil‐based cooking media rich in vitamins and PUFA have a positive impact on nutritional value of food prepared by appropriate means of cooking.