Potato Chip Quality and Frying Oil Stability of High Oleic Acid Soybean Oil

High oleic soybean (HOSBO) and low linolenic acid soybean (LLSBO) oils were evaluated individually and in a 1:1 blend along with cottonseed oil (CSO) to determine frying oil stabilities and the flavor quality and stability of potato chips. Potato chips were fried in the oils for a total of 25 h. Potato chips and oils were sampled periodically for sensory data, gas chromatographic volatile compounds, free fatty acids, and total polar compounds. Total polar compounds levels decreased with increasing amounts of oleic acid. The LLSBO had the highest overall increase (17.3%) in total polar compounds from 0 to 25 h of frying. Flavor evaluations of fresh and aged (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 wk at 25 °C) potato chips showed differences between potato chips fried in different oil types. Potato chips fried in either LLSBO or in the 1:1 blend had significantly higher intensities of deep fried flavor than the chips fried in HOSBO. Potato chips fried in HOSBO, which had 2% linolenic acid and 1.3% linoleic acid, had significantly higher fishy flavor intensity than chips fried in the other oils. The presence of linoleic acid at a level lower than the amount of linolenic acid probably allowed for the fishy flavors from the degradation of linolenic acid in HOSBO to become more apparent than if the linoleic acid level was higher than linolenic acid. Hexanal was significantly higher in potato chips fried in LLSBO than in the chips fried in the other oils, indicating low oxidative stability during storage. Blending HOSBO with LLSBO in a 1:1 ratio not only improved flavor quality of chips compared with those fried in HOSBO, but also improved oil fry life and oxidative stability of chips compared with LLSBO.