Evaluation of Peroxide Amount in the Consumed Oil Used in the Fast Food Shops of Kermanshah City, Iran, in the Year 2016

Increasing consumption of fast foods such as sandwiches, burgers, etc. among adolescents and young people as well as the cooking method of fast foods which is mostly in the frying form, and the high frying oil endanger the consumer health due to the hydrolysis, oxidation, and polymerization of the edible oil. The aim of this study was to assess the amount of peroxide in delicatessen oils used in the fast food shops of Kermanshah City, Iran, in the year 2016.

In this cross-sectional study, according to the No. 493 standard of Iranian Institute of Standards and Industrial Research, 81 samples of edible oils were collected from the fast food shops of Kermanshah City. The samples were then transferred to the laboratory, and their peroxide value measured according to standard No. 4179; the obtained values were assessed.
Findings: From a total of 81 samples, 59% (48 samples) were usable at the standard level, and 41% (33 samples) useless and higher than the standard level. Moreover, the minimum and maximum oxidation numbers were 0 and 29, respectively.

Considering that the peroxide amount was exceed the recommended limit almost in half of the tested edible oils, consequently, additional monitoring, increasing the consumers’ awareness, and health training courses for workers in this sector seem to be necessary.