Fast and Easy Determination of the Causes of Oxidation in Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oils are easily oxidized during manufacturing, distribution, and cooking processes, leading to deterioration in taste and unpleasant odors. Since antioxidant measures vary depending on the causes of oxidation, such as heat or light, it is crucial to promptly identify these causes to maintain the quality of vegetable oils.

A research team comprising Assistant Professor Yurika Otoki and Professor Kiyotaka Nakagawa from the Graduate School of Agricultural Science at Tohoku University, along with Professor Emeritus Yukihiro Ozaki from Kwansei Gakuin University, has developed a simple method for identifying the causes of oxidation.

By the latest mass spectrometry and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), a non-destructive analytical method, the team successfully established a groundbreaking analytical method that can determine the causes of vegetable oil oxidation in just tens of seconds. Since NIR is already widely used in the food industry, applying this method at production sites is expected to significantly enhance effective quality control of vegetable oils.

The findings of this research were published online in the international journal Food Chemistry on November 28, 2024.


Research outline

 

【Publication Details】
Title　　  : Nondestructive determination of canola oil oxidation causes: A near-infrared spectroscopy coupled with liquid chromatography
 　　　　　-mass spectrometry for analyzing triacylglycerol hydroperoxide isomers
Authors　: Yurika Otoki1, Daitaro Ishikawa2, Shunji Kato1, Ibuki Kusumoto1, Yukihiro Ozaki3, Kiyotaka Nakagawa1
               　 1 Food Function Analysis Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8572, Japan
　　　　   2 Terahertz Optical and Food Engineering Laboratory, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8572, Japan
　　　　   3 School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Kwansei Gakuin University, Hyogo, 669-1330, Japan
Journal    : Food Chemistry
DOI           : 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142143

【Contact】
Name：Yurika Otoki
Affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University
                     Assistant Professor
Email：yurika.otoki.d7[at]tohoku.ac.jp