Sunflower Oil–Beeswax Oleogels Are Promising Frying Medium for Potato Strips

A review of different frying oils and oleogels as alternative frying media for fat-uptake reduction in deep-fat fried foods

Purpose

This review aims to examine the potential of oleogels as a frying medium to decrease oil absorption during deep-frying and enhance the nutritional and energy content of foods. By investigating the factors influencing oil incorporation during deep-frying and examining the application of oleogels in this process, we seek to provide insights into using oleogels as an alternative to traditional cooking oils.

Scope

Deep-frying, a widely used cooking method, leads to the retention of large amounts of oil in fried food, which has been associated with health concerns. To address this issue, researchers have investigated various methods to minimize oil absorption during frying. One promising approach is the use of oleogels, which are thermo-reversible, three-dimensional gel networks formed by entrapment of bulk oil with a low concentration (<10% of weight) of solid lipid materials known as oleogelators. This review will focus on the following aspects: a) an overview of deep-fried foods, b) factors influencing oil uptake and underlying mechanisms for oil absorption during deep-frying, c) the characterization and application of different frying oils and their oleogels in deep-fried foods, d) components of the oleogel system for deep-frying, and e) the health impact, oxidative stability, and sensory acceptability of using oleogels in deep-frying.

Key findings

The review highlights the potential of oleogels as a promising alternative frying medium to reduce fat absorption in deep-fried foods. Considering the factors influencing oil uptake during deep-frying, as well as exploring the properties and applications of different frying oils and their oleogels, can result in improved product qualities and heightened consumer acceptance. Moreover, oleogels offer the advantage of lower fat content in fried products, addressing health concerns associated with traditional deep-frying methods. The capacity to enhance the nutritional and energy profile of foods while preserving sensory qualities and oxidative stability positions oleogels as a promising choice for upcoming food processing applications.

Utilization of Sunflower Oil-based Oleogel forDeep-Fried Coated Chicken Products

This study aimed to examine the effect of using oleogel as a frying medium on the quality of coated and deep-fried chicken products. Sunflower oil-based oleogels prepared with 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% carnauba wax were produced for deep frying of coated chicken products and were compared to sunflower and commercial frying oil based on palm oil. The increased carnauba wax concentration in the oleogel decreased the pH, oil, oil absorbance and TBARS value of coated chicken (p < 0.05). Samples deepfried with oleogels containing 1.5% and 2% carnauba wax had the lowest pH values. In addition, since the oil absorption during deep-frying was significantly reduced in these groups (1.5 and 2%), the fat contents of coated products were also lower (p < 0.05). The use of oleogel as a frying medium did not cause a significant change in the color values of the coated chicken products. However, the increased carnauba wax concentration in the oleogel increased the hardness of coated chicken (p < 0.05). As a result, sunflower oilbased oleogels with a carnauba wax content of 1.5% and higher which is healthier in terms of saturated fat content can be used as frying media and can be improved the quality of coated and deep-fried chicken products.

Effect of Palm Oil-Carnauba Wax Oleogel That Processed with Ultrasonication on the Physicochemical Properties of Salted Duck Egg White Fortified Instant Noodles

The present study permutes edible palm oil (PO) into oleogel by incorporating carnauba wax (CW) at two different concentrations (5 g/100 g and 10 g/100 g, w/w) and processing using ultrasonication. The prepared oleogels (OG1: PO-CW (5 g/100 g); OG2: PO-CW (10 g/100 g); and OGU1: PO-CW (5 g/100 g) with ultrasonication, and OGU2: PO-CW (10 g/100 g) with ultrasonication) were compared with PO (control) to deep fry salted duck egg white (SDEW) fortified instant noodles. The impact of different frying mediums on the physicochemical properties of SDEW noodles was investigated. SDEW instant noodles that were fried using OGU and OG samples had a higher L* and b* but lower a* values than those that were fried in PO (p < 0.05). Among the oleogel-fried samples, noodles that were fried in OGU2 and OG2 effectively lowered the oil uptake and showed better cooking properties than OGU1- and OG1-fried noodles, respectively (p < 0.05). Textural attributes such as higher hardness, firmness, chewiness, tensile strength and elasticity, and lower stickiness were noticed in the samples that were fried in OGU, followed by OG and PO (p < 0.05). Scanning electron microstructure revealed a uniform and smoother surface of noodles fried in OGU and OG, whereas the PO-fried sample showed an uneven and rough surface with more bulges. Noodles were tested for fatty acid compositions, and the results found that oleogel-fried noodles retained more unsaturated fatty acids than the control (p < 0.05). During storage of the frying medium after frying the noodles, OGU and OG had higher oxidative stability with lower TBARS, PV, p-AnV, and Totox values than PO at room temperature for 12 days. Overall, using oleogel as frying media improved the physicochemical and nutritional properties of SDEW noodles. This finding could be beneficial for food industries to produce healthy fried food products for consumers.

Food-Grade Bigels with Potential to Replace Saturated and Trans Fats in Cookies

Fats play multiple roles in determining the desirable characteristics of foods. However, there are health concerns about saturated and trans fats. Bigels have been proposed as a novel fat replacer in foods. This research evaluated the role of the type of hydrogel in the development of bigels to be used as fat replacers in cookies. Bigels were made with beeswax/canola oil oleogel and sodium alginate and carboxymethylcellulose hydrogels. The results showed that the peroxide value and binding capacity of bigels were affected by the type of hydrogel used. However, their fatty acid profile, p-anisidine value, oxidative stability, and texture remained unchanged. Using bigels as fat replacers, cookies were obtained with a hardness similar to those with original shortening, showing the potential of bigels for use in foods.