Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A recently published research paper assessed the most common supermarket cooking oils, and determined which is the most suitable for use when cooking.

OILS TESTED: STANDARD DOMESTIC Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) COOKING TEMPERATURES: Virgin Olive Oil Olive Oil (refined blend) Pan frying (sauté) on stove top heat Canola Oil 120°C / 248°F Rice Bran Oil Grapeseed Oil Deep frying Coconut Oil 160–180°C / 320–356°F Peanut Oil Sunflower Oil Oven baking Avocado Oil below 200°C / 392°F

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HEAT COOKING OILS?

Chemical changes Commercial kitchens regularly Physical (e.g. oxidation, hydrolysis) – assess the levels of polar compounds this can lead to the production in cooking oil – on average, changes of potentially harmful (e.g. thickens, compounds (e.g. polar 25% of polar compounds is foams). compounds) that are linked the limit to ensure the oil is safe with negative health outcomes. for continued use. KEY RESULTS: Heating. Acta Scientific. 2018;2(6):2-11. Acta Scientific. Heating. De AlzaaF, of ChemicalandPhysicalChanges inDifferent L.Evaluation C,Ravetti Guillaume Commercial Oilsduring and moststableoiltocookwith This showsthatEVOOisthesafest worstandproducedthe veryhighlevelsofpolarcompoundsandtransfats. oils–Canolaoil,GrapeseedOilandRiceBranperformed other with yielded lowerlevelsofpolarcompoundsandtransfatswhencompared tests,EVOO tested–inboth moststableoilofthose EVOO wasthe WHY? the the oil’s andsafetywhencookingare stability bestpredictors the It showedthat ofan of antioxidants, andthe of antioxidants, naturalcontent acids,the saturated fatty acids (MUFA))mono-unsaturated fatty and (PUFA) (more prone than to oxidation poly-unsaturated fattyacids amountof the oxidative stability, production process. has occurredthat oil inthe level ofrefining TESTS PERFORMED: 77–464°F. from 25to240°C/ (over 20minutes) Oils heatedgradually

at domestic temperatures.at domestic forcooking and suitability predictor best point isNOTthe cooking oilsmoke This research showedthat DOMESTIC COOKING

TEMPERATURES

HIGHER THAN of oil stability of oilstability

domestic kitchens. above thosecommonly usedin temperatures andcookingtimes were achieved despiteusing These positiveresults for EVOO products). not produce highlevelsofharmfuloil MUFA) (andwill stability =Highoxidative andlowinPUFAantioxidants (highin EVOOwashighestin After heating, tested. oils profile compared cooking other all with acid fatty andhadabetter antioxidants levels oftransfats,retained ahighlevelof EVOOcontainedonlytrace After heating cooking oils. best whencompared common other with EVOOperformed showedthat Results SLOW COOKINGMETHODSIN LONGER DURATION THAN A DOMESTICKITCHEN

for 6hours. 180°C /356°F Oils heatedat