Occurrence of lipid oxidation products in foods.

Lipid oxidation products are ubiquitous in foods, although much variation exists in the levels present. Although these levels are generally low, the problem of lipid oxidation severely compromises the quality of some foods and limits the shelf-life of others. Lipid oxidation represents a key barrier in the development of new food products and processes, especially convenience items and processes required to manufacture them. Deleterious changes in foods caused by lipid oxidation include loss of flavour, development of off-flavours, loss of colour, nutrient value and functionally, and the accumulation of compounds which may be detrimental to the health of consumers. All foods that contain lipids are susceptible to oxidation but especially affected are foods which are dehydrated, subjected to high temperatures or cooked and subsequently stored, e.g. dehydrated eggs, cheeses and meats, foods fried in frying oils, and cooked (uncured) meats. Specific examples of compounds which are of health concern include lipid peroxides and the free radicals involved in their formation and propagation, malonaldehyde, and several cholesterol oxidation products. Coronary artery disease (CAD) may be in part caused by the consumption of lipid oxidation products.