Is reusing oil actually economically smart?? Or is it a mistake..

Re-Using cooking oils ; coconut oils vs. vegetable oils.

In the South Asian region the cooking oil of popular choice is Coconut oil and a few other oils such as
palm oils, palm oils and coconut oil blends, and vegetable oils. Examples being sunflower oil, canola oils
and plant butters or animal fats such as cocoa butter, peanut butter, almond butters. Animal origin fats
being spreads, margarines or butters made from fats extracted from animal milk such as cow, goat,
sheep, buffalo or camel. Synthetic fat sources are also used such as fully or partially hydrogenated fats
due to the concerns of lipoxygenation of unsaturated fats at high temperatures, high oxygen pressure
environments and due to high water activity. However the use of hydrogenation poses certain health
related issues such as cardiovascular disease promoting due to abnormal lipid profiles which is due to
the percentages of trans- fatty acids that are formed during partial hydrogenation to create saturated
fats. Therefore the use of vegetable oils has become popular due to the health beneficial effects due to
the presence of mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids. These fats help reduce the risk of
high blood cholesterol levels and have other health benefits when they replace saturated fats in the
diet. Two main types of polyunsaturated fats are omega-3 fats and omega-6 fats, which act slightly
differently to provide health benefits. Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are essential in the diet as they can’t
be made in the body.

Image 01 – Fats in both liquid and solid forms are heavily used for frying activities.

Therefore much attention is given towards the use of plant oils because of the fluid
nature that makes it versatile to use in various frying, baking, cooking and roasting applications which is
economically preferred. However the fluid nature of vegetable oils is due to the higher percentages of
mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids that the percentage of saturated fatty acids.
Examples of oils being olive oil, sunflower oil and canola oil. Coconut oil is an exception because the
higher percentage is of the lauric acid (C12:0) (49%) which used to be considered as a short chain fatty
acid, but was recently discovered to function as a long chain fatty acid. Therefore, it functions as a long
chain saturated fat that thus can cause certain health complications with long term consumption
beyond the recommended daily levels. Palm oil is also similiar to the the composition to that of palm oil
except for a few factors. Therefore palm oils are used as complementing oil with coconut oil as a
complementing partner for substituting in oils. Palm oil contains approximately 50% saturated fatty
acids, The unsaturated fatty acids are approximately 40% oleic acid (C18:1) and 10% polyunsaturated
linoleic acid (C18:2) and linolenic acid(C18:2). Coconut oil is composed of the fatty acids, caprylic acid,
capric acid, lauric acid (C12:0) (49%), myristic acid (C14:0) , palmitic acid (C16:0) , stearic acid (C18:0) ,
oleic acid and linoleic acid.

Inspite of all these during frying the temperatures of the oils

increase and can cause deteriorating effects due to the breakdown products and formation of various
other new products that can have deleterious health effects. Other than in other applications this
becomes more apparent in frying and deep frying. Frying oil at high temperatures (approximately
180oC (356ºF) or over) is a very common processing method used to prepare foods of vegetable
and animal origin. When using fresh oils to fry, the food may not carry the same fried flavours as when
using re used oils, and will appear bland.

The numerous factors influencing the stability and performance of frying oil can be categorized into
external and internal factors depending on whether they are operation-dependent (relatively
independent of the inherent quality of the frying oil) such as frying temperature, accessibility to
oxygen, and duration of frying; or oil-dependent (arising from the inherent composition of the
frying oil). The reusing of oil may or may not be a smart choice depending on the application because
the temperatures vary during the various uses. This problem can be most prevalent during frying
because in various countries and regions oils are re-used more than twice or thrice in restaurants and
fast food chains due to the expenses and economical ease. However in households in mostly developing
countries cooking oils are used more than three times which have been found to have certain
deleterious effects on our cardio vascular health. Introduction At elevated temperatures, oils will
change significantly due to the many chemical and physical reactions which occur, such as oxidation,
hydrolysis, cyclization, isomerization and polymerization.
Image 02 – re using oil that was already exposed to high temperatures for an extended time can have an
adverse health impact that may not become evident immediately.

There are some notable chemical changes that occur when

frying changes the chemical integrity of oil. Moisture can cause hydrolysis forming free fatty acids, Diacyl
Glycerols, and Monoacylglycerol. Contact with air and metal can cause oxidation forming Oxidized
monomers, Oxidized Dimers and Polymers, volatile compounds (Aldehydes, Ketones, Hydrocarbons) and
Sterol Oxides. Other than this, High temperature causes polymerization and forms Dimers and non-polar
polymers, cyclic monomers, Trans isomers and Position isomers. When frying, oil also decomposes
into a variety of volatile Physical changes in oils that occur during heating and frying include increased
viscosity, darkening in color, and increased foaming as frying time continues. At the same time, the
smoke point of the oil decreases. The person frying may not notice these effects until the oil has been
used for prolonged periods of time. The break down products and the other volatile products that are
formed can differ based on the type of oil used as well. Further research is being conducted on how
these break down products of lipid oxidation and thermo-oxidation of fatty acids change depending on
the source.

However in general, According to the information from online news

(whtascookingamerica.net), a recent study found that a toxin called 4-hydroxy-trans-2-nonenal (HNE)
forms when such oils as canola, corn, soybean and sunflower oils are reheated. The survey indicates that
consumption of foods containing HNE from cooking oils has been associated with increased risks of
cardiovascular disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, various
liver disorders, and cancer. Once absorbed in the body, HNE reacts with DNA, RNA and proteins
affecting basic cellular processes. Signs of deteriorated oils can be classified as below. Therefore based
on these characteristics the use of oil should be stopped if the oil imparts any rancid properties to the
fried foods.

-Oil darkens with use because the oil and food molecules burn when subjected to high/prolonged heat.
-The more you use oil, the more slowly it will pour. Its viscosity changes because of changes to the oil’s
molecular structure.
-Loose absorbent particles accumulate as sediment at the bottom of the storage container or are
suspended in the oil.
-When smoke appears on the oils’ surface before the temperature reaches 190 degrees C
(375 degrees F), your oil will no longer deep-fry effectively. If the oil has a rancid or “off” smell or if it
smells like the foods you’ve cooked in it, it should be discarded.
Image 03 – The mechanism of Edible oil Oxidation (Eunock C, David B. Min. 2006)

Resources –
1. https://www.iwacu-burundi.org/englishnews/risks-with-reusing-cooking-oil/

2. Boateng, L., Ansong, R., Owusu, W. B., & Steiner-Asiedu, M. (2016). Coconut oil and palm oil's role in
nutrition, health and national development: A review. Ghana medical journal, 50(3), 189–196.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5044790/

3. https://actascientific.com/ASNH/pdf/ASNH-02-0083.pdf
de Alzaa F, Guillaume C, Ravetti L. Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial
Oils during Heating. Acta Scientific. 2018;2(6):2-11.

4. Choe, Eunok & Min, David. (2006). Mechanisms and Factors for Edible Oil Oxidation. Comprehensive
Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 5. 169 - 186. 10.1111/j.1541-4337.2006.00009.x.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227846080_Mechanisms_and_Factors_for_Edible_Oil_Oxid
ation

Name- Vinuri Arambepola