EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANTS ON LOSSES OF TOCOPHEROLS DURING DEEP-FAT FRYING

The changes in tocopherol content of oil used for deep-fat frying of potatoes have been studied. It has been found that alpha-tocopherol is lost much faster than beta-, gamma- or delta tocopherol, with a reduction of 50% alpha-tocopherol after 4-5 frying operations compared with values of about 7 and 7-8 frying operations for beta- and gamma-tocopherol, respectively, in the absence of added antioxidants. However, the presence of a rosemary extract or ascorbyl palmitate in the frying oil caused a marked reduction in the rate of loss of the tocopherols.