Oxidation and Anti-oxidation of Oils and Fats

Abstract

Reducing the oxidation of oils and fats is an important issue, especially in the food industry, which handles foods containing oils and fats. Oxidation of oils and fats basically follows the oxidation stability of the fatty acid composition, but is also influenced by the triacylglycerol molecular species and lipid class. Oxidation of oils and fats is initiated by the withdrawn of hydrogen from unsaturated fatty acids, but the subsequent process is complex, and a variety of radical species are generated, which themselves are involved in promoting oxidation. A variety of antioxidants exist to efficiently inhibit reactions in these processes. The effectiveness of these antioxidants depends on whether they are used in bulk oils or emulsions. This paper introduces these basic issues with some recent findings.

graphical abstract