Determination of peroxide value of edible oils used in sandwich and falafel shops in Tehran

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the compounds that is primarily produced by the oxidation of oil and fat and causes various diseases, including atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease .The aim of this study was to survey the peroxide value of edible oils used in sandwich and falafel shops in Tehran in 2016.
In this study, sampling from a number of fast food centers was done randomly. After the transfer of samples to the chemistry laboratory of environmental health engineering department, the peroxide number was determined based on the national standard procedure 4179. The data was analyzed by SPSS software for descriptive statistical parameters and t-test.
According to the National Iranian Standards, from total of 50 samples of the sandwiches taken, 20 samples (40 %) were consumable and 30 samples (60 %) were inedible. Also, from 40 samples of falafel taken, 14 samples (35 %) were consumable and 26 samples (65 %) were inedible. The maximum peroxide values of sandwiches and falafel were 29.79 and 31.22 meq/kg, respectively.
The findings show that Peroxide value in the sandwich and falafel shops were higher than the standard, and thus it seems that having an educational plan for staff regarding the correct methods of frying food is necessary.