Effects of Allura Red Dye Additive on the Chemical Properties of Palm Oil Sold in Selected Markets of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria
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Abstract
In recent years, the increasing demand for palm oil in Nigeria has out - weighed supply leading to a widening gap between demand and production and this has led to inevitable increase in the level of adulteration. Hence, the need for this study to investigate the quality of palm oil being sold in the markets. This study was to investigate the effects of Allura Red dye on the chemical properties (Saponification Value, Moisture Content, Free Fatty Acid Value, Acid value, Peroxide Value) of palm oil with and without allura red dye additive in palm oil sold in the Rumuokoro market. The sampling was done using 3 x 2 Factorial experimental design. The study involved testing palm oil samples with and without allura red dye using Titration and Oven Drying method. The results show that untreated palm oil [oil mill sample (OS) and control sample (CS)] had higher saponification values, indicating better quality. OS1, OS2, OS3 and OS4 for example, had high saponification values of 232.82 mg KOH/g, 230.01mgKOH/g, 230.01mgKOH/g, 232.82 mg KOH/g respectively categorizing them as high quality palm oil. However, the saponification values of the treated samples (TS1, TS2, TS3 and TS4) were significantly lower, with TS2 having the lowest value of 196.68 mg KOH/g, categorizing it as poor quality. Untreated samples (OS1 – OS4 and CS1 –CS4) had lower moisture content values compared to the treated samples (TS1, TS2, TS3 and TS4). Moisture content increased in the dye-treated samples, suggested a higher susceptibility to microbial contamination and oxidative degradation. The untreated palm oil samples (OS1 – OS4) exhibited lowest FFA values of 0.034% and 0.07%, while the treated samples (TS1 – TS4) had significantly higher values of 0.34% and 0.45%. The acid value of the treated samples were significantly higher than that of the untreated samples. The peroxide values of the treated samples were significantly higher compared to the untreated samples, but the control samples (CS1- CS4) which were home-made had the highest peroxide value of 27.5 meq/kg and 17.5 meq/kg, indicating extremely bad quality which could be as a result of poor processing method. The addition of Allura Red dye to palm oil negatively impacts its quality, highlighting the need for stricter regulations on dye use in food products especially palm oil. The findings underscore the potential risks of artificial dye additives in palm oil, which compromise both its chemical compositions, consumers’ health and long-term stability. Further research is also needed to explore the broader health implications of consuming dyed oils.
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References
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