Frying is a cooking technique very much appreciated by the general population for its fast execution and special flavor that it confers to food. However, it can propagate great amounts of fat and others substances (polar compounds) that can be considered as toxic due to the transformation occurred, when submitted to heat, of unsaturated fatty acids. This compounds formation depends on the frying conditions, as for example, the presence of water (it facilitates the reaction). These frying oil components can be harmful to health, more specifically to heart and arteries (the main cause of death in many developed countries), as well as it can originate the manifestation of malignant illnesses such as lung and stomach cancers.

It was with this intention, that several governments and organizations have issued legislation and/or recommendations, which forbid the sale of food, prepared in oils that possess an amount superior to 25% of polar compounds. This creates a need to control in a fast and reliable way the frying oils quality, because even when the oils show no signs of degradation or even when they are used only one time but in a badly maintained or calibrated frying pan, the polar compounds percentage can already have exceeded the legal/recommended limit.

The OleoTest® is a reliable, fast and cheap method to control the food oils quality. These tests allow in a few minutes and in q extremely simple way, the reliable evaluation of food oils according to the presence and quantity of polar compounds (extremely harmful to the Human health). The reliability of this test is continuously confirmed through independent laboratories analyses. This test is regularly used by official entities (as many of the European Food Safety Agencies) in inspection actions because they remain unchanged after use, which allows them to use it as legal evidence. The OleoTest® tests are an important complement in the systems of auto-control of the food branch companies (Obliged by law, according to Reg. CE 852/2004).