Why Reusing Cooking Oil Is Unhealthy

Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 20:38 [IST]

When you see that half an inch of oil is left at the bottom of the deep fryer after frying something, you usually don't have the heart to throw it away. After all, we live in the times of inflation where the cost of commodities like cooking oil is going up every day. However, if you were aware of the health effects of reusing cooking oil, you would not dare to make this mistake.

Reusing cooking oil after frying fish, potatoes or any other such items can be very harmful for your health. Ideally, reusing cooking oil is a habit that you should get rid of it today. When you use oil to fry something, the particles of the food are left in it. When you leave this oil unrefrigerated, the oil promotes growth of bacteria. This can lead to the worst kind of food poisoning and even death if you get the fearsome infection of Botulism.

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Each kind of oil has a different smoke point. Now, smoke point is the temperature at which the oil breaks down and smokes. The oil usually starts to degenerate after this smoke point. So, you should know the smoke point of the oil you are using. Animal fats usually have lower smoke points than vegetable oil. That is why; always use healthy cooking oils like olive oil or soy oil.

It is not always practical to throw away the oil after frying anything. However, reusing cooking oil has to be done by taking some precautions. Here are some simple things you can do to avoid the bad health effects of reusing cooking oil.

Filter It

Always filter the food particles left in the cooking oil if you are storing it for later use. You can filter used oil through butter paper or tissues.

Closed Jar

Use an air tight container to store oil for reusing if at all you are reusing it. Air tight containers or jars prevent the spread of bacteria in the oil.

Refrigerate

If at all you are storing used oil, then it has to be done in the refrigerator. Oil should be stored in a closed jar and refrigerated before bacteria starts growing in it.

Know Smoke Point

It is best to know the exact smoke point of the oil that you are using to cook. For this, you have to put a thermometer into the oil and wait to see at which temperature it starts steaming.

Used Refined Oil

You must always use good quality refined oil for cooking because refined oils always have a higher smoke point than unrefined oil.

Do Not Over Heat Oil

How much do you really need to heat the oil when you are cooking. It is best to warm the oil when you are cooking and not heat it to the point of smoking. This ensures that the oil does not lose its healthy properties. That is why; olive oil is never heated.

How Many Times?

Ideally, you should not be reusing cooking oil even once because it increases chances of developing cancer. But if you decide to reuse oil, never do it more than once. This is because every time you reuse oil, its smoke point comes down.