So is rancidity
Rancidity is a natural chemical decomposition process that fats, oils and other lipids undergo.
In the food sector, this is an undesirable phenomenon, which leads to a deterioration of the organoleptic characteristics and represents a potential danger to the health of the consumer.
Causes
Lipolytic (or hydrolytic) rancidity is caused by lipase enzymes, which attack triglycerides by detaching fatty acids from glycerol; the presence of these nutrients in the free state, and in particular of short-chain fatty acids, gives the food smells and unpleasant flavors (butyric acid, for example, is responsible for the bad aroma of rancid butter). Free fatty acids, and in particular unsaturated ones, are also the substrate of the so-called oxidative rancidity, from which peroxides originate which propagate with a radical chain mechanism. Oxidative rancidity leads to the formation of various types of chemical compounds, characterized by unpleasant odors and tastes, and to a decay of the nutritional characteristics of the food (significant loss of fat-soluble vitamins).
Prevent food rancidity
Rancidity can be favored by various elements, first of all the content in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Availability of oxygen (air)
Long storage times
Addition of inert gases such as nitrogen (industrial environment), well closed container after use (domestic environment)
Presence of organic catalysts (such as chlorophyll and porphyrins) and inorganic, such as traces of copper, iron, lead, cobalt, etc.
Absence of catalysts and abundance of antioxidant compounds such as vitamin E, carotenoids, polyphenols, vitamin C and flavonoids. Pork fats, for example, quickly go rancid due to the almost total absence of natural antioxidants.
To prevent rancidity, the food industry usually adds antioxidants to products particularly rich in lipids; among these we remember ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate, butylhydroxyanisole (BHA), butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) and propyl gallate. Other preservatives, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA), avoid oxidation due to inorganic catalysts, sequestering metal atoms.
For what has been said, the oils most susceptible to rancidity are precisely those that are friendly to our health (grapeseed oil, hemp oil, linseed oil and other oils rich in omega-3 and omega-6). by cold pressing and stored in an appropriate manner, these oils can turn rancid and cause health problems for those who consume them. For example, the presence of mutagenic agents can predispose to the risk of colon and digestive cancer. Furthermore, we must not forget that the same oxidation phenomena responsible for rancidity can occur in an important way inside the organism (where there is an abundance of oxygen). For this reason it is recommended to combine the integration of omega-3 and omega-6 with that of tocopherols (vitamin E).
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