Investigation of oxidation and sensory properties of different forms of
fish oil supplements during consumer use
Abstract
Omega-3 fatty acid consumption is getting more and more common due to
their positive impacts on human health. Since consumers cannot get their
omega-3 needs from natural sources, omega-3 supplements play an
essential part of the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are highly susceptible
to oxidation; thus, storage conditions affect the quality of these fatty
acids. Supplement form is also another factor, which is critical for
stability. In this project, it is aimed to compare the effects of
different forms (capsule, chewable nd syrup) and packaging types of fish
oil supplements on fatty acid composition, oxidative stability and
sensory properties when stored at room temperature and in dark
conditions. Moreover, the effect of consumer behavior regarding the
recommended usage after the bottles are opened were assesed during
storage study. It was observed that, syrup forms are more susceptible to
oxidation than capsule and chewable forms. Moreover, capsule forms
complied more with limit values during storage and better protected
according to the sensory evaluation scores. Fish oil samples belonging
to the same company but provided from different stores showed
significant differences in some of the sensory attributes which is an
indicator of non-standard raw material, ingredient or processing.