Thermal degradation of coconut oil with free fatty acid, peroxide value, and moisture content indicators

Coconut oil is consumed by people for cooking purposes. It is usually subjected to long heating at high temperatures and often reheated and reused. There is a need to investigate the degradation of coconut oil without a food matrix to determine its inherent degradation properties if it is subjected to long thermal stress. This study investigates the thermal degradation of refined, bleached, and deodorized coconut oil (RBDCO). The RBDCO samples were heated at three different temperatures (150, 175, and 200 °C) for 12 hours continuously. Samples were collected every hour interval and analyzed for free fatty acid (FFA), peroxide value (PV), and moisture contents (MC). Results reveal that increased temperature and heating time lead to higher FFA, PV, and MC, indicating significant oil degradation. The findings suggest that maintaining optimal processing conditions is crucial for preserving oil quality and safety standards.