Influence of microwave and conventional cooking on beef liver lipids

Liver slices were cooked with a mixture of cottonseed oil and margarine using microwave oven and gas cooker. The acid values, peroxide numbers, total sterols and fatty acid profiles of unheated and cooked liver slices conventionally and by microwaves were determined. The time required for cooking liver slices by microwaves was one-half of the time required conventionally. Heating the lipid mixture by both heating methods caused highly significant decrease in the acid value. Conversely, the acid values of lipids extracted from cooked liver slices were highly significantly increased by the heating processes. The peroxide values of the lipids conventionally heated were always lower than those obtained by microwaves. The peroxide value of microwavable liver lipids was nearly twice as high as that produced by conventional heating. Heating processes significantly reduced the sterol levels for all lipids under study. The fatty acid analysis of the lipids under heat treatments demonstrate the occurrence of oxidative degradation and production of short-chain acids.