Volatile Profile and Flavor Characteristics of Ten Edible Oils

The volatile compounds present in ten edible oils (six refined, two roasted, and two natural pressed) with different fatty acid compositions were measured to study volatile profile and flavor characteristics. The volatile profile of the refined oils was found to be linked to the fatty acid composition. The percentage of alcohol in the volatile profiles, varied from 38.59 to 74.37%, was smaller in refined oils with more linoleic and linolenic acid than those in oils with more oleic acid, while the opposite trend was observed for the percentage of aldehyde, ranging from 20.27 to 37.19%. The total peak area and number of volatile compounds detected in roasted oils were much greater relative to those in natural pressed oils. Ten characteristic compounds were detected exclusively in roasted sesame oil, and seven compounds were found to be unique to roasted perilla oil. 2-Methylpropan-1-ol and hexanal were the only volatile compounds common to all ten oils.

Automated summary

The research found that the volatile compounds in edible oils are linked to the fatty acid composition, with different oils having varying compositions. The roasted oils had a greater number of volatile compounds detected compared to natural pressed oils.