Storage stability of packed coconut oil blends with other vegetable oils

Evaluation of storage stability of packed coconut oil blends with other vegetable oils with regard to packaging material, storage period, and storage condition was conducted. The blends ofcoconut oil (CNO) were prepared with sunflower oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, groundnut oil, sesame oil and palm oil. The blends were packed in pouches of tWQ different packing materials (nylon based and foil laminate) and stored at two different temperatures and relative humidity conditions (27°C/65%RH and 38°C 1 90% RH) for 120' days. Colour, peroxide value (PV), free fatty acid value (FFA) and moisture content of the blends were analyzed at regular intervals to monitor bleaching of colour, oxidation,' hydrolysis and moisture pick-Up during storage. Initial values ofCNO blends for colour (2.3- 16.6 Lovibond units), PV (1.03- 2.98 meqO/Kg), FFA (0.08 '- 2.1 %) and moisture content (0.016'- 0.039%) changed during storage. The study showed that the blends packed in nylon based co-extruded film and stored at 27°C /65% RH and 38 °C/90% RH recorded higher PV (32.1 and 117.9 meqO/Kg), FFA (1.56 and 1.85 %) and moisture content (0.071- 0.186%) respectively, than the blends packed in foil laminated packing materiaL. The foil laminated packing material provided greater protection to the CNO blends stored at 27°C/65% RH and 38°C/90% RH against oxidation (4.33 and 6.03 meqO/Kg), hydrolysis (1.53 and 1.51 %) and moisture pick-up (0,034 and 0.037%) respectively. Oxidation, hydrolysis and moisture pick-up was more rapid for the packed blends stored at 38 °C/90%RH. The observed results indicated that foil laminated packing material and storage condition of 27 °C/65%RH provided excellent storage stability to packed coconut oil blends.