CHAPTER 5. Strategies to Mitigate MCPD and Glycidyl Esters in Refined Oils and Foods

The formation of toxic compounds that are potentially carcinogenic during food processing has been considered an important food safety issue. Among them, particular attention has been given to 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE), 2-monochloropropane-1,3-diol esters (2-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE), which can be formed during edible oil refining, especially in palm oil. These contaminants can also occur in a variety of processed foods and the highest concentrations have been found in those that use refined oils in their formulation. 3-MCPDE, 2-MCPDE and GE are formed at high temperatures mainly in the deodorization step of the edible oils refining process, and different mechanisms have been suggested. So far, several strategies have been proposed to mitigate these contaminants in edible oils, including the removal of precursors from the oil prior to deodorization, modifications of processing parameters, the addition of refining aids to prevent the formation of the contaminants during processing, and degradation or removal of the contaminants formed in the refined oil. Moreover, strategies to minimize the contamination of fried foods due to oil uptake during frying have been investigated.