LIPID CONTENT, FATTY ACID COMPOSITION AND QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF DEEP-FAT FRIED FOODS

Twenty-seven brands of five types of fast foods were purchased from food stores and fast service restaurants in Giza area in Egypt. All samples had been prepared by deep-fat frying. They included fried pota­toes, potato chips, fallafel, fish pieces and fermented dough (Zallabia). These samples were analyzed for total lipid and fatty acid composition. The total lipid content of each type of food varied widely, the average percentages were as follows : potato chips, 33, fallfel, 30, frield pota­toes, 26.5, Zallabia, 24 and fish pieces 10.5. The Fatty acid profiles of the total lipids in several brands of potato chips and fallafel were rela­tively constant, while for fish pieces and fermented dough foods they varied widely. They were also influenced by the fatty acid profile of un­cooked food and the composition of the cooking fat. Quality characteris­ties revealed low values of free fatty acid and peroxide values in almost all samples. Samples which contain free fatty acid over 1 %, were 29% of total samples, while all samples indicated peroxide value under 20 mel. eq/Kg. oil . On the other hand four samples only indicated values above 27% polar materials and only two samples indicated values above 10% oxidized fatty acids.