Sensory characteristics of high oleic sunflower oil for deep-fat frying

Abstract

Although the high stability and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-lowering effect of high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) have often been reported, its sensory characteristics have not received similar attention. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the sensory characteristics of HOSO using sensory analysis as well as aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). A comparison between the volatiles of HOSO and four other oils, including soybean oil (SBO), rapeseed oil (RSO), palm olein (PO) and corn oil formed at 180°C revealed that HOSO had the lowest intensity of oily flavor. When fried foods, such as deep-fried tempura batter, shrimp tempura, and croquette, were prepared using HOSO and PO, the flavor intensities were obviously low. In addition, we evaluated the flavor duration of the fried foods. The result of the flavor duration test was similar to that of flavor intensity. Moreover, the overall flavor quality of fried foods prepared with HOSO was significantly higher than that of fried foods prepared with RSO. These results suggest that HOSO has a less oily flavor and is suitable for deep-fat frying. On the other hand, AEDA revealed that the volatiles from HOSO, SBO, and RSO are closely involved in the fatty acid compositions of these oils, and that not only SBO and RSO but also HOSO generate volatile components that contribute greatly to the aroma. In conclusion, it is suggested that the fatty acid composition of HOSO strongly affects its sensory characteristics, and the flavor of fried foods prepared with HOSO is not easily perceived.