This chapter is devoted to the study of the processes of hydrolysis and oxidation of deep-frying fats and their influence on the safety indicators of the fat component of the most popular fast-food products. The studies were carried out by the authors of this work and under their guidance at the St. Petersburg State Technical University, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University of Peter the Great, and Saratov State Agrarian University named after N. I. Vavilov. Despite the trend towards consumption of healthy, low-fat foods, the popularity of deep-fried foods is significant throughout the world; the number of fast-food restaurants and the consumption of fast-food deep-frying products are increasing.
TopIntroduction Of The Chapter
The technology of deep-frying is becoming more widespread due to the high speed of heat transfer, simplicity and speed of cooking, attractive taste and the specific aroma of the finished product. The method of frying in deep fat produces “fast food” products (French fries, chips, wings, burgers), as well as many dishes of national cuisine (belyash, cheburek, chak-chak, etc.).
The volume of production of fast food products in Russia is growing rapidly and, according to a number of marketing studies, exceeds 200 thousand tons per year. The annual growth of this market segment is 10-20%. The largest volumes of sales in fast food enterprises of the Russian Federation are accounted for by French fries - 30-35%, chicken wings - 15-20%, breaded chicken fillet - 10%, pies, belyash, cheburek - 10-15%, donuts - 15%, fish and fries seafood - 10%, fries vegetables - 5%, respectively [Ignatov V.I., 2010]. The consumption of special deep-fried fats and vegetable oils for the production of these products is at least 200 thousand tons per year (Nosova A.S., 2013.).
It is widely believed that deep-fried fast food products are unsafe for health. The problem is of particular importance also because the main group of consumers of these products is the young generation, for whom the negative effect of fat oxidation products on health is especially pronounced.
Clinical experiments on animals (white rats) revealed that the consumption of thermally oxidized frying fat has a negative effect on the digestive tract, changes the results of biochemical and clinical blood tests of experimental animals for the worse (Okunevich I.V., 2004; Simakova I.V., 2009; Makarova A.N., 2011).
For practical ensuring the safety of products, it is necessary to strengthen the input control of raw materials, improve the technology, control the parameters of the process, as well as to amend the current regulatory documentation for fast food products.