Quality Evaluation of Some Commonly Consumed Oils and Fats

Aim: To evaluate and compare the quality parameters of some commonly consumed oils and fats.

Study Design: Laboratory experimental design was used.

Place and Duration of Study: Cultured Clarias gariepinus was collected from a fish pond, Glycine max was purchased from a local market while pork, chicken and beef fats were collected from Oko Oba Abattoir, Agege, Lagos State, Nigeria. The study was carried out between September 2019 - February 2020 at the Oilseed Laboratory of Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos State, Nigeria.

Methodology: Oil available in C. gariepinus and G. max were extracted using Soxhlet extraction method while the animal fats were pre-treated to remove the impurities present in them. The chemical properties of the oils and fats were determined using standard methods of analysis while the fatty acid composition were analysed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometer.

Results: Beef fat had the lowest peroxide (3.02mEQ/kg), anisidine (4.32mEQ/kg) and TOTOX value (10.36mEQ/kg), indicating that the fat could be stored for a long period of time without undergoing deterioration. The fatty acid composition shows that G. max oil, C. gariepinus oil and pork fat contains high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids while beef fat contains large number of saturated fatty acids.

Conclusion: This study shows that G. max oil, C. gariepinus oil and pork fat have more nutritive value compared to chicken fat and beef fat although will be easily susceptible to oxidation due to the large number of double bonds present in them.