Antioxidative effects of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbyl palmitate on thermal oxidation of canola oil.

Canola oil, with and without added alpha-tocopherol and ascorbyl palmitate, was used to deep-fat frying potatoes once per day for 10 day or once per week for 10 weeks. Changes in chemical and physical properties were monitored. Refractive index, free fatty acids and absorbance at 232 and 270 nm increased with frying time. Smoke point, 'L' color index, iodine value and the C18:2/C16:0 ratio in the oil decreased with the frying time. According to smoke point, which shows the time of the oil should be discarded, canola oil without antioxidant (control) can be used safely 8 times daily or 7 times weekly. For canola oil with antioxidant (oil + alpha-tocopherol + ascorbyl palmitate), the smoke point did not decrease below 170 degrees C in both daily and weekly fryings. This showed that canola oil with antioxidant could be used safely at least 10 times for both frying intervals. In both daily and weekly fryings, the addition of 200 ppm alpha-tocopherol and 200 ppm ascorbyl palmitate increased the oxidative stability of canola oil.