3 ms·

Like technical experts like to be precise but I’m failing to see how their use of rancid is not a synonym for oxidized

• fuzzfactor 3y ago
  Yes, the unsaturated portion of the oil is most subject to oxidation from the environment, like from the oxygen in the air which acts more rapidly at warm storage temperatures than cold storage. The expert odor committees are condemning oils that have an amount of oxidation that is so low it is hard for them to all agree so their consensus is the most accurate overall judgement. Ordinary chefs are not likely to even notice such a slight amount of degradation. This is a far cry from highly oxidized cooking oil like you sometimes have in fast-food operations who wait until it's long overdue to replace the oil in their fryers. This can often be so rancid you can smell it from quite a distance, anyone can agree about it, and any oil which is only a small fraction as bad doesn't earn the qualification as "rancid" by ordinary people. And plenty of them go back for second helpings anyway.