Abstract
RAPESEED oil is a stable, viscous oil utilised extensively by the baking industry in several countries as a lubricant to prevent the dough piece sticking to the container during baking. The oil is applied either to the container or directly on to the dough surface and allows the easy removal of the bread after baking. There are, however, few data available to indicate the extent to which any rapeseed oil is absorbed into the bread during processing. The question has assumed considerable importance since Roine1 and many subsequent workers2–4 showed that a range of laboratory animals developed heart lesions and other biochemical abnormalities when fed diets with a substantial content of rapeseed oil. These effects have generally been attributed to erucic acid5 (13-docosenoic acid) which is the major fatty acid constituent in normal rapeseed oils (30–50% of total fatty acids)6. Consequently, various countries have legislated to restrict the amount of erucic acid permitted in certain foods, although no tolerances have been set specifically for baked products. This is mainly due to the assumption that erucic acid is not a natural component of the ingredients used in bread.
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WILLS, R., WOOTTON, M. & HOPKIRK, G. Erucic acid, an accidental additive in bread. Nature 263, 504 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/263504a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/263504a0
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