Oil stability index correlated with sensory determination of oxidative stability in canola oil

The usefulness of the Oil Stability Index (OSI) as an accelerated oxidative stability test for canola oil was studied by correlating the OSI with the induction period as determined by sensory analysis. Canola oil was treated by holding it for differing times (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 d) at elevated temperature (60°C) in the dark with agitation. The sensory induction period (SIP) was determined by storing the five treatments of oil and the control at 60°C in the dark with agitation and removing aliquots of oil for a nine‐member sensory panel to evaluate over a 9‐d period. The time it took for a treatment to reach an average sensory score of 5 (10‐point scoring scale) was defined as the treatment’s SIP. OSI values were obtained on day 0 using a heating block temperature of 110°C and an air pressure of 6 psi. The relationship between SIP and OSI had a 0.89 coefficient of determination (r2). This relationship may be sufficiently strong to warrant use of the OSI in industry applications but may not be ideal for more precise experimental studies of canola oil shelf life.