Tocochromanol content in commercially prepared fried foods

Abstract

In the scientific literature, there is not reliable information about the vitamin E content of commercially prepared fried foods. Therefore, tocochromanols were determined in 44 samples of french fries and 33 samples of potato chips and similar fried snacks. The total tocochromanol content of the french fries varied in the range of 1.7–96.9 mg/kg, α-tocopherol 0.3–76.1 mg/kg, and vitamin E (expressed in α-tocopherol equivalents) 0.6–76.4 mg/kg. The total content of tocochromanols in the fried snack products varied in the range of 39.9–204.6 mg/kg, α-tocopherol 20.4–133.7 mg kg, and vitamin E 29.8–134.6 mg α-tocopherol equivalent/kg. After a comparison of fat content, and taking into account the reference intake of fat and vitamin E, the french fries were generally a worse source of vitamin E than fat. The fried snack products were usually a better source of vitamin E than fat. In the both types of fried foods, the total content of tocochromanols was most influenced by the total content of fat. The content of α-tocopherol and the vitamin E content were mainly affected by the kind of fat (oil) used for frying.