The Performance of the Super-High-Oleic Acid Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) Oil During Intermittent Frying

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Lipid Chemistry
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• High-oleic acid edible oils offer nutritional advantages and heat stability, making them desirable for frying applications.
• Conventional oils can degrade during repeated heating, impacting food quality and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the frying performance of a novel super-high-oleic acid safflower oil (SHOSO).
• To benchmark SHOSO against high-oleic acid sunflower (HOSO), conventional canola (CCO), and rice bran (RBO) oils under simulated frying conditions.

Main Methods:

• Oils were subjected to 30 hours (90 cycles) of potato chip frying.
• Performance was assessed by monitoring changes in total polar compounds (TPCs), tocopherol content, and fatty acid composition.
• Induction time and frying life were determined for each oil type.

Main Results:

• SHOSO exhibited the highest oleic acid content (~91%) and longest induction time (~35 h).
• After frying, SHOSO and HOSO showed the highest TPC increase and shortest frying lives compared to CCO and RBO.
• Tocopherol depletion occurred rapidly in high-oleic acid oils, and significant changes in oleic acid content were observed in SHOSO and HOSO.

Conclusions:

• SHOSO demonstrates suitability as a frying oil, with its high oleic acid content contributing to its thermal stability.
• The study suggests SHOSO is an attractive, healthier fat alternative for food formulations due to its functional properties.