Why change the oil after every frying session?

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Extract from the article: Fries, fritters, fish or meat, everyone loves to fry. But after preparing these delicacies in a frying pan, many people end up asking the same question: what to do with the frying oil after cooking?

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Fries, fritters, fish or meat, everyone loves to fry. But after preparing these delicacies in a frying pan, many people end up asking the same question: what to do with the frying oil after cooking?

Frying oil, whether vegetable or animal oil, cannot be used more than once. Reusing any cooking oil can lead to serious health risks. Reusing cooking oil creates acid peroxides, causes cancer, attacks organ cells and can infect white blood cells.

Mathieu Kponou Tobossi, a specialist in food quality and hygiene and a dietary therapist, is categorical: « You don't use oil twice. Once heated, the oil is degraded. Above 100 degrees, the temperature that brings it to a boil, the nutrients are denatured and the oil is no longer vital. In addition, the fatty acids in the oil reach a degree of degradation called the smoke point, at which point they turn into fats that are harmful to the heart and blood vessels ».

Frying oils are chemically degraded with each use. During this process, several molecules are formed in the oil. Some of these are known as « polar compounds ». If the level of these polar compounds exceeds a quarter of the total composition of the oil, this can be dangerous for consumers. Indeed, polar compounds are potentially carcinogenic. They remain in the oil even if it is filtered. The filtration process is mainly used to remove the carbonised residues.

In addition to having strange tastes and smells, it contains carcinogenic free radicals. These annoying molecules are then absorbed into the food to which the oil is added. With each use, the oil becomes more and more concentrated in harmful substances, until it becomes even more dangerous to health. This is what Mathieu Tobossi emphasises. The specialist confirms that « it is dangerous and extremely harmful to health to reuse cooking oil ».

If the oil has browned a lot, if it gives off an unpleasant odour and a lot of smoke, if it foams and becomes slimy, then it can no longer be used for frying and it is time to throw it away.

Abel OZIH