The national standards for vegetable oils mainly involve indicators such as acid value, peroxide value and solvent residue.
Acid value: According to GB 2716-2018 National Food Safety Standard Vegetable Oil, the acid value of edible vegetable oil is not more than 3 mg/g. Acid value is an indicator of oil quality. For the same oil, the lower the acid value, the fresher the oil. On the contrary, the more the acid value exceeds the standard, the higher the degree of oil deterioration, the more harmful substances accumulate in the oil, and the unhealthier the processed food.
Peroxide value: The national standard limits the peroxide value in edible oil, which is a quality control indicator in the processing process and a hygienic safety limit indicator for the product. The high or low peroxide value reflects the decomposition rate, oxidation and deterioration of the oil. Too high a peroxide value can be harmful to human health.
Solvent residue: For specific edible oils, such as peanut crude oil and soybean crude oil, the national standard stipulates the maximum allowable value of solvent residue. For example, the solvent residue in peanut crude oil shall not exceed 100mg/kg, while the solvent residue in the first grade of leached finished peanut oil shall not be detected, and the second and third grades shall be ≤50mg/kg.
These standards are formulated to protect the health and safety of consumers and ensure the quality and hygienic safety of edible oil. In addition, the update and revision of national standards, such as GB 2716-2018, has stricter requirements on acid value than previous standards, reflecting the continuous improvement of food safety standards.