Lipid oxidation monitoring

Current trends aimed at increasing the consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and reducing the use of additives such as synthetic antioxidants reinforce the importance of controlling lipid oxidation in foods. Oxidation is responsible for flavour defects that shorten the shelf life of foods, and in some cases can even lead to the formation of compounds that are potentially harmful to health.

We are particularly interested in the impact of the location and organisation of lipids in food matrices on their oxidability. The initial composition of the matrix (nutrients and micro-constituents such as endogenous antioxidants) can be analysed.

Reactions between lipid oxidation products and other food constituents such as proteins are also taken into account for a better assessment of chemical modifications and their consequences on the nutritional properties of foods.