Physicochemical properties and oxidative stability of corn oil in infrared-based and hot air-circulating cookers.

Corn oil was heated using an infrared cooker, an air fryer, and a cooking oven at similar temperatures, and oxidative stability and physicochemical properties including moisture content, temperature change, the profile of headspace volatiles, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde of the heated oils were compared. Corn oil heated using the air fryer showed the lowest degree of oxidation, followed by that heated using the infrared cooker and the cooking oven. However, the content of headspace volatiles in 120 min heated oil using the infrared cooker was higher by 2.57 and 5.37 times than that in oil heated using the cooking oven and the air fryer, respectively. The profiles of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in oils showed patterns inconsistent with those of headspace volatile and oxidation parameters. Generally, the air fryer-treated oil underwent slow lipid oxidation, whereas oil from the infrared cooker had more volatiles and imparted odor to foods. © The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology 2022.