Studies on antioxidant treatments of crude vegetable oils

Abstract

Treatments of crude safflowerseed, soybean, sunflowerseed and cottonseed oils with the antioxidant compounds butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), propyl gallate (PG) and tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) have been investigated. PG and TBHQ were effective in inhibiting oxidative degradation of the crude oils subjected to long term storage as determined by measurement of peroxide formation in the oils during storage and by determination of AOM and oven (145 F) stabilities of the oils before and after storage. Of particular interest were the oxidative stability characteristics of these oils after they had been stored for relatively long periods in crude form (with and without the antioxidants) and then alkali refined, bleached and deodorized. The data from stability tests on these refined oils indicate that vegetable oils protected with potent antioxidants, such as PG or TBHQ, during storage in the crude form might yield refined, bleached and deodorized oils with somewhat higher initial oxidative stability and with better response to further antioxidant treatment.