Oxidative Deterioration of Commercial Fried Foods Containing Chlorophylls

Abstract

Recently, chlorophyll (Chl)-containing fried foods and vegetable snacks have been widely consumed in Japan, because their green color provides consumers with a good image for health. It is well known that oxidative deterioration of fats and oils is greatly enhanced by light, especially in the presence of Chls. In this study, the oxidative deterioration of oils extracted from commercial fried foods containing Chls was investigated, and the effect of light irradiation on the deterioration of those foods was examined. The following experimental results were obtained; (1) Amarked deterioration was not observed in Chl-containing fried foods purchased from two big supermarkets within one or two months from the production date. (2) On leaving fried snacks after unsealing at room temperature under the dark for 2 weeks, autoxidation of their fatty components obviously proceeded. (3) When several vegetable snacks were irradiated by light (sun light or 15W fluorescent light) for 2 weeks, a remarkable increase of peroxide values was observed in Chl-containing vegetables (kidney beans and green peas).