review · Food Chemistry X
Vegetable oils are primary dietary fats that readily oxidise when exposed to environmental stressors such as light and elevated temperatures. This oxidation process generates free radicals and destabilises food systems, causing nutritional losses, undesirable off-flavours, and alterations to chemical and functional properties that diminish consumer acceptance. Furthermore, the chemical degradation yields potentially toxic compounds that present health risks to consumers. Mitigating these effects requires an understanding of oxidation mechanisms, dependable shelf-life prediction, and effective prevention strategies. Because different food systems react distinctively, selecting assessment methods suited to specific food matrices is essential for accurately monitoring lipid oxidation and determining antioxidant efficacy across commercial food products.
Vegetable oils are staple ingredients in diets worldwide, yet their tendency to spoil when exposed to light and heat reduces nutritional value and produces hazardous toxins. Understanding how to track and limit oxidation helps ensure that everyday packaged foods remain safe, palatable, and nutritious for consumers throughout their intended shelf life.
Food manufacturers and edible oil processors can apply these insights into measurement techniques, shelf-life prediction, and mitigation strategies to improve product stability and extend shelf life. As a synthesis of existing mechanisms and assessment methods rather than a standalone tested product, the practical application lies in guiding quality assurance protocols and formulation testing within industrial food laboratories.
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Vegetable oils (VOs) are essential components of the human diet and serve as the primary source of dietary fats. However, lipids in food are highly sensitive to environmental factors such as exposure to light and high temperatures, which promote the formation of free radicals and accelerate lipid oxidation, leading to an unstable food system. Their susceptibility to oxidation poses a significant challenge to both food quality and human health. In fact, oil oxidation is a major concern for the food industry as it leads to loss of nutritional value, formation of undesirable off-flavors and changes in the functional quality and chemical composition of oils, reducing consumer acceptance. In addition, oxidation produces potentially toxic compounds that pose significant health risks. Considering these concerns, this critical review examines various aspects of oil oxidation, including its impact on oil quality, underlying mechanisms, recent measurement techniques, shelf-life prediction and strategies to prevent and mitigate oxidation. The selection of appropriate methods, adapted to specific food matrices, is crucial for the accurate assessment of lipid oxidation and antioxidant capacity.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102541
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