Influence of Time and Temperature on Stability of Added Vitamin D3 During Cooking Procedure of Fortified Vegetable Oils

Background and Objectives: Previous research has established that Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) deficiency is considered to be a highly prevalent nutritional problem worldwide. Data from National Food and Nutrition Surveillance Program (2015) revealed that prevalence of vitamin D3 deficiency in Iran is more than 70% of the population. Vegetable oils are considered to be potential candidates for fortification with vitamin D3. Although exposure to high temperatures has been shown to cause adverse effects in vitamin D3 content of food products, research to date has not yet determined the stability of added vitamin D3 in vegetable oils during cooking procedures. Materials and Methods: An 80/20 % (eighty/twenty) mixture of fortified oils/water subjected to low temperature (105°C, for 0, 60, 120 and 180 minutes) and high temperature (160°C, for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 minutes) under reflux condition in order to determine the destruction rate of vitamin D3. The vitamin D3 concentration was determined by HPLC method with following operating conditions: apparatus, SHIMADZU10-ATVP; column, C18 column, 5 mm, 150_4mm id; mobile phase, methanol; ambient temperature; flow rate, 1.0 ml/min Results: This study has identified that retention rate of added vitamin D3 in corn, sunflower and canola oils during normal cooking process varies from 68.6% to 87.4%. Conclusions: This study has shown that retention of added vitamin D3 in various vegetable oils depends on the range of natural vitamin D3 retention in cooking of foodstuffs. This result will be of interest to clinical researchers and policymakers concerned with the fortification of food products mainly vitamin D3 fortification.