Rancidity profile of palm oil, palm kernel and coconut oil at two selected tertiary markets in Accra

Abstract

There are many problems associated with handling and keeping of unrefined cooking oils on the Ghanaian markets. These problems affect the general quality of the products. Some of these problems are development of foul smell and undesirable taste. It is believed that these are caused mainly by inappropriate handling practices during the sale of the oil. A survey was therefore conducted at two tertiary markets to determine the extent of rancidity associated with three cooking oils sold at these markets. The oils studied were palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil. The rancidity profile was monitored by determining the peroxide and free fatty acid values of the oils. The results obtained indicate that palm oil in all cases show the highest tendency to go rancid as shown by the observed high peroxide values and high free fatty acid contents of palm oil from the two markets. This could be attributed to the processing procedures and the keeping conditions. The coconut and palm kernel oils have relatively low tendencies to show any sign of rancidity by looking at their peroxide values and low free fatty acid values and thus have higher quality