Oxidative Stability of Refined Red Palm Olein under two Malaysian Storage Conditions

Refined red palm olein (RPOo) is the first cooking oil that is a pro-Vitamin A source due to its high carotenoid concentration. The quality specifications from the manufacturers are usually applied to freshly produced oil. However, there is currently no information regarding the oxidative stability and phytonutrient content (Vitamin E and Carotene) for RPOo after prolonged storage time. The objective then is to study the effect of two local storage conditions and storage period(s) on the oxidative stability of RPOo. In this study, peroxide value (PV), p-anisidine value (AnV), induction period (IP), free fatty acid (FFA), and Vitamin E content were determined periodically for twelve months under local storage conditions (supermarket and kitchen). Carotene content, however, was determined only at initial and at the 12^th month of storage time periods. It was found that there was an overall progressive but slow increase in PV and p-AnV. For PV, the storage effects were inconsistent. However, the effects were significant (p < 0.01) on the AnV throughout storage. At the end of the 12-months, for both storage conditions, the PV < 10 meq O₂ g^-1, the AnV < 10, the FFA < 0.2 % (palmitic acid), with a 30% drop in the total Vitamin E, and carotenoids content showed no significant drop (p < 0.01). The PV and AnV were also within Codex Alimentarius' recommended limits. Finally, the oxidative parameters showed that RPOo remains stable after year storage under the two simulated local storage conditions (the aforementioned supermarket and kitchen).