Determination of smoke point of vegetable oils

The smoke point of oils and fats refers to the temperature at which vegetable oils and fats start to produce a small amount of continuous blue-tinged smoke (i.e., thermal decomposition products of oils and fats) when heated to a certain temperature. It is one of the important indicators for measuring the quality and thermal stability of vegetable oils and fats. The smoke point of oils and fats is closely related to their processing technology, purity, fatty acid composition, etc. Oils and fats with too low a smoke point are prone to produce harmful substances during cooking or processing, which can affect food quality and consumption safety. Therefore, accurately determining the smoke point of oils and fats is of vital importance in quality supervision, food processing and other fields.

The determination of the smoke point of vegetable oils is usually carried out by visual inspection. When the sample is heated until a specific smoke appears, the temperature at this time is taken as the smoke point. The requirements for the smoke point of oils and fats vary in different scenarios. For instance, in food processing, oils and fats with a smoke point that matches the cooking temperature should be selected to prevent deterioration at high temperatures. In import and export inspection, it is necessary to determine whether the oil meets the relevant standards based on the smoke point.

The ST123 oil smoke point meter is a dedicated instrument developed in accordance with Article 5 "Second Method - Visual Determination" of the national standard GB/T20795-2006 "Determination of Smoke Point of Vegetable Oils". It is suitable for departments such as quality supervision, import and export inspection, oil processing, oil storage and transportation, food processing, scientific research, agricultural breeding, and schools that need to determine the smoke point of vegetable oils. This instrument heats the sample. When a small amount of continuous blue smoke is observed, the temperature indicated by the thermometer is read and the heating/lock button is pressed. The value displayed on the upper part of the instrument head is the smoke point. It has the characteristics of simple and intuitive structure and low price. Its technical parameters meet the professional measurement requirements, including a double test error of ≤2℃, a temperature measurement range covering room temperature to 300℃, and the results can be output through both a visual thermometer and a small LCD digital display. Moreover, the entire machine has been upgraded and improved, featuring a powder-coated casing to enhance safety performance. It supports built-in curve calibration of the temperature control device and can be verified by the metrology institute. It can accurately and stably complete the determination of smoke point of oils and fats.