ASSESSMENT OF FATTY ACID AND VITAMIN E PROFILES IN EDIBLE OILS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Cooking oil plays a pivotal role in our daily diet. The present investigation was designed to characterise the fatty acid composition and eight homologs of vitamin E in a total of 52 locally available vegetable oils [types: pure oils (n=10) and blended oils (n=6)] in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The analyses were performed by gas chromatography for fatty acid composition, the acetic acid-isooctane method for peroxide value (PV), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for vitamin E profiling. Following multivariate discriminant analysis, the oils were categorised into two groups. Most studies and oil standards have reported only part of eight vitamin E homologs, therefore this current study is novel as it provides the complete vitamin E profiling of the tested oils. There was no major discrepancy found between the assayed values and packaging labels on the fatty acid composition, trans-fat, and vitamin E content. The PV and trans-fats were within the recommended range, indicating good quality compliance. Fatty acid and vitamin E content were within standard oil specifications. These observations implied that the oil manufacturers and retailers in Malaysia had good acquiescence to international standards and local regulations. This study provides consumers with technical insights in oil selection, based on the functionality needed. IN PRES.