Comparative Analysis of the Oxidative Stability and Sensory Attributes of Palm Oil and Shea Butter in Open Pan Frying

Abstract

Rising palm oil prices have intensified the search for affordable, locally available alternatives with comparable frying performance. Shea butter, which is traditionally used in West Africa and is rich in stearic and oleic acids, as well as bioactive unsaponifiable compounds, may offer favourable thermo-oxidative stability. This study compared the oxidative stability and sensory attributes of palm oil and shea butter during the open-pan frying of chicken. Palm oil and shea butter were subjected to controlled heating in an open-lid deep fryer at 100 °C, 150 °C and 190 °C for 7 h without food, and to the open-pan frying of salted, boiled chicken pieces (150 g batches, 15 min each) over 7 h. Samples were collected hourly. Peroxide value (PV), acid value (AV), anisidine value (AnV), free fatty acid (%FFA) and total oxidation value (Totox) were determined. Sensory attributes of the fried chicken were evaluated by trained panelists. Shea butter consistently exhibited lower oxidative degradation than palm oil across the tested conditions. In heating without food, palm oil Totox increased from 16.40 to 36.36 mg/kg at 190 °C, whereas shea butter changed from 11.24 to 13.22 mg/kg. During chicken frying in an open pan, final Totox reached 24.89 mg/kg for palm oil and 13.59 mg/kg for shea butter. Palm oil showed higher PV, AV, AnV and %FFA, often exceeding the recommended Totox threshold of 15 mg/kg by 4–5 h. Sensory evaluation indicated progressive deterioration in palm oil-fried chicken, including increased burnt or grassy flavour, hardened texture, darkened colour and declining overall acceptance. In contrast, shea butter-fried chicken maintained a buttery flavour, balanced colour, pleasant aroma and higher excellent or very good ratings for eating quality and overall acceptability throughout the 7 h period. Shea butter demonstrated greater oxidative stability and sustained sensory quality than palm oil, indicating its potential as an alternative frying medium in resource-limited settings.