Nutrition, sensory evaluation, and performance analysis of trans fat-free, low alpha-linolenic acid frying oils

The FDA now requires the labeling of trans fats, a decision that has encouraged foodservice operators to eliminate trans fats from foods and reformulate deep-fat frying oils in order to make them trans fat-free. This study evaluated performance, sensory, and nutrition characteristics of trans fat-free oils used to cook French fries during a 10-day controlled degradation session. Nutritional analyses and fatty acid profiles were conducted on the oils before degradation, and a sensory evaluation of fries cooked in different oils was conducted to determine liking of the fries. Results indicated a preference for French fries fried in canola oils, while the 0.05% low alpha-linolenic (ALA) soybean oil had the highest stability and lowest oil usage. All the low ALA oils in the study provided a healthy, inexpensive, and stable option for foodservice operators to consider when choosing trans fat-free oils; therefore, foodservice operators must determine which is more importantstability, usage, nutrition, or taste preferencewhen selecting the right oil for their operation.