2021 Stephen S. Chang Award Lecture

2021 Stephen S. Chang Award Lecture presented by Dr. Charlotte M. Jacobsen. The presentation will be livestreamed at https://annualmeeting.aocs.org/watch-the-livestream


Stabilization of omega-3 PUFA rich raw materials and foods against lipid oxidation

Polyunsaturated long chain omega-3 fatty acids have a wide range of health beneficial effects. However, due to their polyunsaturated nature, omega-3 lipids are highly susceptible to lipid oxidation, which will result in undesirable fishy and rancid off-flavors as well as formation of unhealthy compounds.

To efficiently prevent lipid oxidation, it is necessary to understand the oxidation mechanisms and to identify the most important factors influencing lipid oxidation in each specific raw material or food system. This becomes even more important when the raw material or food system is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

This presentation will discuss lipid oxidation mechanisms and different means to prevent lipid oxidation in various food systems such as mayonnaise and milk as well as in skin care products and in raw materials such as krill oil and side-streams from seafood processing. It will be demonstrated how oxidative stability can be improved by optimizing the processing conditions, by the use of delivery systems for omega-3 lipids or by the addition of antioxidants. The influence on lipid oxidation of the physical structure of oil-water interfaces and the location of antioxidants at the interface will also be touched upon. Examples of the effect of natural antioxidants such as seaweed extracts rich in polyphenols and peptides from potato will be given.