Effect of potato presence on the degradation of extra virgin olive oil during frying

Summary This work investigates the effect of potato presence on the degradation of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) during repeated frying. For this reason the performance of EVOO during frying was compared with its performance during heating at frying temperatures. In order to make meaningful comparisons the temperature profiles obtained during the frying experiments were replicated during the heating experiments by means of a high energy exchange rate cooling/heating system. The effects of potato‐to‐oil ratio (1/7 and 1/35 kg potatoes /L oil ) and number ( N ) of batches ( N = 0, 1, 0, 20, 30, 40) were examined. EVOO was analysed using high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). It was found that polymerisation products increased linearly during frying and heating and that they were not affected by potatoes presence at low ratio. The effect of potato presence became statistically significant (yet not remarkable) at the high ratio. Decomposition products increased during frying whereas they decreased during heating.