Revista de Processamento e Tecnologia de Alimentos

Abstrato

Thermal and Oxidative Study of Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera L.) Synthetized by Handcraft and Industrial Processes

José Carlos Oliveira Santos1*, Jakeline Santos Martins1, Marta Maria da Conceição2

Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera L.) has required analytical methods capable of evaluating processing and storage conditions. Foods containing oils and fats deteriorate during storage in an oxygen atmosphere due to auto-oxidation. But when they are heated to high temperatures, the oxidation process is accelerated, with oxypolymerization and thermal oxidative decomposition reactions taking place. In this work, the thermal and oxidative stability properties of the extra virgin coconut oil produced by the Brazilian industry and the coconut oil obtained in a handmade way were compared. The results confirm the high content of saturated fatty acids in coconut oil, mainly due to the high content of lauric acid, responsible for increasing the oxidation stability, besides changing the oil melting profile, contributing to the increase of the use of the fat of this oil in specific products. Extra virgin oil has greater thermal stability compared to handcraft oil. This result suggests that the higher content of saturated acids in relation to the handcraft oil is responsible for the better thermal stability of the extra virgin oil, while the artisan oil presents greater oxidative stability.