Clipping Board » Illness Enters through Mouth ─ The information that has been made public is often just the tip of the iceberg...
June 22, 2009, Liberty Times
**Research Shows Oil Begins to Deteriorate After Six Hours of High-Temperature Frying**
[Reporters He Yuhua, Yang Yamin, and Wang Changmin / Comprehensive Coverage] According to academic research, cooking oil begins to deteriorate after six hours of continuous high-temperature frying. However, a survey conducted yesterday by the Consumer Protection Officer of the Taipei County Government at well-known fast-food chains such as McDonald's, KFC, Napoli, and Domino's in Tucheng City and Yonghe City found that while these establishments filter their oil daily, they do not replace it every day. Samples were taken for testing, and the businesses were given three days to provide safety explanations regarding their oil usage.
Taipei County Consumer Protection Officer Yang Shunhui cited research by Taipei Medical University professor Liu Zhenfang, stating that cooking oil begins to deteriorate after six hours of continuous high-temperature frying. Prolonged high-temperature frying produces carcinogenic acrylamide. The investigation focused on whether the frying temperature exceeded the smoke point, and tests were conducted to check for the presence of migratable fluorescent substances, acrylamide, heavy metals, and other harmful components in the oil.
Early yesterday morning, Yang Shunhui, along with health bureau personnel, conducted surprise inspections at seven fast-food chain restaurants. They collected 200 cc samples of oil from active fryers for cooling, which will be sent for testing today to determine whether they meet the Department of Health's edible oil hygiene standards.
**Taipei County Inspection: Major Fast-Food Chains Do Not Replace Oil Daily**
Yang Shunhui noted inconsistencies in the responses from different branches of the same chain. For example, one McDonald's branch on Section 3 of Jincheng Road in Tucheng City claimed to replace oil daily, while another on Section 2 of Zhongyang Road said oil was replaced every three to four days. A third branch in Yonghe City stated that oil was used for seven to fourteen days, with replacement determined by five criteria: color, smoking, the appearance and taste of fried food, and whether the oil foamed.
Other fast-food chains also provided varying explanations. KFC reportedly replaces oil every three to four days, filtering it twice daily. Napoli changes its oil and cleans the fryer every five days, while Domino's replaces oil approximately every seven days. These businesses use oil for over ten hours daily, with some operating 24 hours, yet all emphasized that they "filter the oil daily."
In response to the surprise inspections, fast-food chain headquarters issued statements. McDonald's Taiwan stated that its vegetable oil contains zero trans fats and that stores follow a three-step process to ensure oil quality: maintaining a constant temperature to stabilize the oil, daily filtration to remove residue, and using oil-testing equipment to determine when replacement is necessary.
McDonald's further explained that oil replacement is primarily determined by color. Fresh oil is light in color, but as it is used, it darkens. When the oil becomes dark, loses transparency, foams, or alters food flavor, staff immediately replace it.
KFC stated that its stores use only vegetable oil, and staff follow quality control guidelines to inspect oil daily. Replacement is based on usage frequency rather than days, with immediate changes made when standards are met. The company's quality control team also conducts unannounced audits to ensure product quality and equipment functionality.
Napoli Pizza noted that the most direct indicator for oil replacement is fried chicken sales. Stores replace oil when sales reach NT$30,000, as higher sales indicate more frequent oil usage.
**Department of Health: Oil Deterioration Depends on Food Volume**
Businesses emphasized that current government regulations do not specify usage duration for frying oil, leaving them to rely on visual and smoke-based assessments for periodic testing and replacement.Why can't the government regulate the number of days oil can be used? Xie Dinghong, Deputy Director of the Food Hygiene Division at the Department of Health, explained that the rate at which oil deteriorates is related to the amount of food fried in it. If a large quantity of food is fried at once, the oil will deteriorate faster, whereas frying small amounts at a time can extend its usability. The deterioration also depends on the type of food being fried and the frequency of frying, making it difficult to establish a uniform standard.
However, Xie Dinghong emphasized that, in general, if the oil turns brown, appears dirty, or produces excessive foam during frying, it is almost certain that the oil has deteriorated and should be replaced—no laboratory testing is needed. This is basic knowledge that food industry operators should have when handling oil.
Source: http://www. libertytimes. com. tw/ 2009/ new/ jun/ 22/ today- t1. htm
Fast Food Oil Changed Every 1-7 Days
**Research Shows Oil Begins to Deteriorate After Six Hours of High-Temperature Frying**
[Reporters He Yuhua, Yang Yamin, and Wang Changmin / Comprehensive Coverage] According to academic research, cooking oil begins to deteriorate after six hours of continuous high-temperature frying. However, a survey conducted yesterday by the Consumer Protection Officer of the Taipei County Government at well-known fast-food chains such as McDonald's, KFC, Napoli, and Domino's in Tucheng City and Yonghe City found that while these establishments filter their oil daily, they do not replace it every day. Samples were taken for testing, and the businesses were given three days to provide safety explanations regarding their oil usage.
Taipei County Consumer Protection Officer Yang Shunhui cited research by Taipei Medical University professor Liu Zhenfang, stating that cooking oil begins to deteriorate after six hours of continuous high-temperature frying. Prolonged high-temperature frying produces carcinogenic acrylamide. The investigation focused on whether the frying temperature exceeded the smoke point, and tests were conducted to check for the presence of migratable fluorescent substances, acrylamide, heavy metals, and other harmful components in the oil.
Early yesterday morning, Yang Shunhui, along with health bureau personnel, conducted surprise inspections at seven fast-food chain restaurants. They collected 200 cc samples of oil from active fryers for cooling, which will be sent for testing today to determine whether they meet the Department of Health's edible oil hygiene standards.
**Taipei County Inspection: Major Fast-Food Chains Do Not Replace Oil Daily**
Yang Shunhui noted inconsistencies in the responses from different branches of the same chain. For example, one McDonald's branch on Section 3 of Jincheng Road in Tucheng City claimed to replace oil daily, while another on Section 2 of Zhongyang Road said oil was replaced every three to four days. A third branch in Yonghe City stated that oil was used for seven to fourteen days, with replacement determined by five criteria: color, smoking, the appearance and taste of fried food, and whether the oil foamed.
Other fast-food chains also provided varying explanations. KFC reportedly replaces oil every three to four days, filtering it twice daily. Napoli changes its oil and cleans the fryer every five days, while Domino's replaces oil approximately every seven days. These businesses use oil for over ten hours daily, with some operating 24 hours, yet all emphasized that they "filter the oil daily."
In response to the surprise inspections, fast-food chain headquarters issued statements. McDonald's Taiwan stated that its vegetable oil contains zero trans fats and that stores follow a three-step process to ensure oil quality: maintaining a constant temperature to stabilize the oil, daily filtration to remove residue, and using oil-testing equipment to determine when replacement is necessary.
McDonald's further explained that oil replacement is primarily determined by color. Fresh oil is light in color, but as it is used, it darkens. When the oil becomes dark, loses transparency, foams, or alters food flavor, staff immediately replace it.
KFC stated that its stores use only vegetable oil, and staff follow quality control guidelines to inspect oil daily. Replacement is based on usage frequency rather than days, with immediate changes made when standards are met. The company's quality control team also conducts unannounced audits to ensure product quality and equipment functionality.
Napoli Pizza noted that the most direct indicator for oil replacement is fried chicken sales. Stores replace oil when sales reach NT$30,000, as higher sales indicate more frequent oil usage.
**Department of Health: Oil Deterioration Depends on Food Volume**
Businesses emphasized that current government regulations do not specify usage duration for frying oil, leaving them to rely on visual and smoke-based assessments for periodic testing and replacement.Why can't the government regulate the number of days oil can be used? Xie Dinghong, Deputy Director of the Food Hygiene Division at the Department of Health, explained that the rate at which oil deteriorates is related to the amount of food fried in it. If a large quantity of food is fried at once, the oil will deteriorate faster, whereas frying small amounts at a time can extend its usability. The deterioration also depends on the type of food being fried and the frequency of frying, making it difficult to establish a uniform standard.
However, Xie Dinghong emphasized that, in general, if the oil turns brown, appears dirty, or produces excessive foam during frying, it is almost certain that the oil has deteriorated and should be replaced—no laboratory testing is needed. This is basic knowledge that food industry operators should have when handling oil.
Source: http://www. libertytimes. com. tw/ 2009/ new/ jun/ 22/ today- t1. htm