Presentation on Palm Oil and Frying application at the International Congress of Food Science and Technology Conference, Kota Kinabalu, April 2012.
MPOC presented a paper at the recent International Congress of Food Science and Nutrition in Kota Kinabalu Sabah, organized by Malaysian Institute of Food Technology (MIFT) and University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on deep frying entitled “Stability and Desired Attributes of Palm Olein in Deep Frying Applications: An Update”. The presentation touched on the positive attributes of palm olein in deep frying applications and explained why palm oil is superior to polyunsaturated oils (soybean, sunflower, corn etc) in frying applications. Among the competing edible oils, palm olein is currently the preferred choice for ramen noodles industry in many countries, including Korea, China, Taiwan and others due to its high oxidative stability. It imparts superior shelf life to the final products with a guranteed shelf life of between 6 to 12 months. Unlike the unstable polyunsaturated edible oils, palm olein does not have to be hydrogenated to impart stability. Hence, it is naturally free of trans fatty acid. Palm Oil also has balanced fatty acid content with equal ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids. The presence of natural antioxidants, tocopherol and tocotrienols further contribute to the superior oxidative stability of palm oil. Another important attribute of palm oil, which helps to distinguish it from others, is its bland taste. This helps to carry the natural flavor of the food during frying. An important reason palm oil is the preferred choice for deep-frying applications globally is because it is easily available and is the most cost effective edible oil.
