Odias have the habit of late-evening snacking with Bara, Piyaji, Singara aka Samosa and Alu Chop. We all have our own favourite, in the culinary jargon, finger sacks. But do we ever give a thought to how the hawker manages the oil (edible oil) in which he fries the munchies – his oil management is zero and he keeps on reusing the same. And how does it impacts us and our body?
According to FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) guidelines, reheating should be avoided and if you intend to reuse the oil maximum of three times is permitted to avoid the formation of transfat. Food cooked in re-heated oil or reused oils should be avoided. Vegetable oil and palm oils should not be used if they have developed the Total Polar Compound of more than 25 per cent.
None of the hawkers or the QSR outlets in Bhubaneswar is aware of it nor do they have any technology to measure it. KFC, Dominos and Pizza Hut have auto changing of oils but it is still questionable.
“Re-heating and reuse of oil should be avoided as far as possible. Avoid using leftover oil wherever possible. However, vegetable oil having developed Total Polar Compound more than 25 per cent shall not be used,” the guidelines added.
When we reuse the oil trans fat goes up and the food cooked in that oil becomes unhealthy. Some of the bad effects of consuming food cooked in such oils are:
Cholesterol levels shoot up: At a high temperature, fats in the oil transform to trans-fat. These fats are harmful to the body and the risk of heart diseases is high. It is more dangerous when it is reused as trans-fats increase above the permissible level.
Cause of high blood pressure: High temperature along with the moisture content in food ingredients plus oxygen in the cooking surroundings produces reactions such as, hydrolysis, oxidation and polymerization. This reaction changes the chemical characteristics of the oil which releases the fatty acids, free radicals – producing mono-glycerides, di-glycerides and tri-glycerides. These three compounds are grouped under Total Polar Compounds – which is the benchmark for calculating the degradation of cooking oil. These compounds are very toxic and are formed when we keep on re-using oils for frying causing lipid deposition (popularly known as a block in the arteries), stress and hypertension.
Emits bad odour: Oil heated at a high temperature especially the ones used by the hawkers (palm oil) release an odour even before they reach the smoking point and these fumes go up when it reaches beyond the smoking point. The bad odour is due to the breaking down of the fat molecule. Every time the oil is re-heated to the smoking point, unhealthy parts of the oil are released into the air and to the food being cooked.
In Odisha, it is common to see people snacking on fried foods at roadside eateries, food outlets in markets, local shacks, Khao Gali and QSR outlets. More than 50 per cent of the population consumes fried food 1–6 times a week. This food is often consumed by youngsters aged 20-30, who develop elevated cholesterol levels at a very young age owing to this dietary consumption pattern. Thus, reusing oil for cooking has a negative impact on health which can be fatal.
Home fried Poori and Pakoda also pose a huge threat to the well-being of everyone in the family, especially when the same oil is reused (cutting corners while budgeting). We feel it’s a way of preventing wastage, little realising how the same can have an impact on overall health. Thus, it is advised to use a limited quantity of oil for cooking and frying to prevent wastage and further risk of re-use that comes with its set of side effects.
Here are some tips on removing extra fats and oils from cooked food. These tips have been handed down to daughters from moms and are also used by professional chefs.
>> When you realise the oil content is high in your veg mix add some roasted gram flour and cook the dish for some time, the flour will absorb the excess oil and at the same time, it enhances the flavour.
>> From cooked curry, the easiest way out is to put a piece of ice and the extra oil will stick to the ice which can be removed, else refrigerate the curry and the excess oil will form a thin layer which can be ladled out.
>> The same process can be followed if homemade sauces have extra butterfat and oil. Your guess is as good as mine – this is how the retailed and bottled sauces don’t have oil.
>> Relish your soup but the wee bit of extra butter and meat fat can be removed by putting an absorbent paper or serviette on the hot soup, provided it is hot.
>> For avoiding the extra bit of oil in Pooris and Pakodas, fry them at the right smoking temperature. These should be removed with a slotted /ladle as it will help in draining out extra oil. Put them on absorbent paper or kitchen napkins so that the exterior oil on these fried foods are minimal.
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