Influence of Prolonged Deep-Frying Using Various Oils on Volatile Compounds Formation of French Fries Using GC-MS, GC-O, and Sensory Evaluation

Flavor is a decisive sensory characteristic to determine the popularity of French fries (FF). To investigate the effect of prolonged deep-frying using various oils on volatiles formation of FF, the FF were prepared in the palm oil (PO), soybean oil (SO), and high-oleic rapeseed oil (RO) for 24 hours intermittent frying. The effect of oil types was found to be more significant than the frying time on the volatiles of FF indicated from the clusters of the fried FF by chemometric analysis. A total of 26 key aroma-active compounds were identified by aroma extract dilution analysis, in which aldehydes were predominant. The FF fried in SO revealed higher desirable aroma compounds, i.e., (E, E)-2,4-decadienal and it increased to maximum value at 12 hours, and left the deep-fried odor in FF. Meanwhile, a significant increase in metallic off-flavor was observed in FF fried in SO and PO at 20 hours, indicating that oil quality reduction resulted in FF with unappealing flavor. The above results showed that frying process had an optimum frying window (approximately 4-16 hours with total polar compounds content below 22.2%), and the French fries prepared in this period obtained higher flavor scores. The study will provide insights into the effect of oil types and oxidation degree on obtaining the ideal flavors for fried food.