Coconut oil and cocoa butter are essential raw materials in the food and cosmetic industries. Due to their chemical composition, they are solid at room temperature and have good oxidative stability. Industrially, such fats are typically stored in silos in the liquid state to facilitate handling and dosing; however, they are not stored under an inert atmosphere, which may affect oxidation rates.
The aim of this bachelor’s thesis was to determine the oxidative stability of coconut oil and cocoa butter and assess whether an inert atmosphere significantly slows oxidation at the storage temperature. Samples were stored for three months at 45 °C under three conditions: in an open container, in a closed container with a limited amount of air, and under a nitrogen headspace. At set time intervals, primary oxidation products were determined as the peroxide value, while secondary oxidation products were assessed using the p-anisidine value. The TOTOX and INTOX indices were also calculated for each sample to capture the overall extent of oxidation, and the measurement uncertainty of all determinations was evaluated.
The results showed that oxidation proceeded most rapidly in samples stored in the open container, where a continuous supply of oxygen was available. However, no significant differences were observed between samples stored under their own headspace atmosphere and those stored under an inert atmosphere. This result may be attributed to the packaging properties of the samples’ storage container.
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