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Audrey Chan

Does cooking oil go bad?
Most definitely.
It’s tempting to buy your cooking oil in bulk – it is a kitchen staple, after all. But before you do, keep in mind that all edible oils, opened or not, eventually turn rancid.
Why does this happen? Let’s turn to chemistry for an explanation.
As outlined in a 2012 article in the Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, cooking oil goes bad because of a process called oxidation.
The reaction occurs when the unsaturated fatty acids in cooking oils encounter oxygen. Unsaturated fatty acids keep oils liquid at room temperature, explains a 2010 review in the Frontiers in Neuroscience journal.

Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety tells us that oxidised cooking oil can produce unpleasant flavours and odours. In addition to leaving a bad taste in your mouth, a 2018 Nigerian study warns that consuming rancid oil can create harmful substances in the body called free radicals, causing cellular damage.
In addition, the consumption of oxidised oil has been linked to conditions such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, and digestive issues. It can also deplete your body’s stores of essential vitamins B and E.
With oxygen so abundant in the air around us, oil oxidation is “virtually inevitable”, say researchers in the 2013 Handbook of Olive Oil journal. They make a fair point.
From the second plants such as corn, peanuts, vegetable seeds, and palm kernels are pressed to produce cooking oil, the oxidation process begins, and there’s no stopping it.
Besides air, other elements such as heat, light, and certain metals can also catalyse the oxidative process in foods such as cooking oil, the Nigerian study notes.

High temperatures increase the kinetic energy of oil molecules, making them collide more frequently. This results in heightened opportunities for chemical reactions like oxidation, explains an American study from 2010.
Exposure to light also hastens the oxidation of oil in a process called photooxidation, adds a 2012 article in the journal Lipid Oxidation. Here, ultraviolet light irradiation produces free radicals which speed up the breakdown of oil compounds and make them oxidise faster.
That’s why oil is typically sold in darkened or opaque containers to mitigate the product’s exposure to light.
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The same article mentions that metal packaging can activate oxygen, initiating unwanted oxidation in cooking oils. This explains why some oil manufacturers opt for glass bottles that act as a barrier against oxygen.
A large variety of cooking oils are available, made from different ingredients, and some turn rancid faster than others. Broadly speaking, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that you keep unopened olive and vegetable oils in the pantry – or any dark, dry place – for 6 to 12 months after the date of purchase.
Olive and other vegetable oils that have been opened can be stored in the pantry for three to five months, and up to four months if kept refrigerated.


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Food and Drinks

Cooks’ questions answered: does cooking oil go bad? What the experts say

Cooking oil will not last forever in your pantry or kitchen cupboard without going bad, so beware of buying in bulk. The packaging affects how long your oil will last because exposure to light speeds up the oxidation that turns it rancid, studies show. Photo: Shutterstock

It is virtually inevitable that cooking oils, such as olive oil (above), will oxidise, causing them to turn rancid, because oxygen is so abundant in the air, say researchers in the 2013 Handbook of Olive Oil. Photo: Shutterstock

Besides giving food cooked in it an unpleasant taste, rancid cooking oil depletes the body’s reserves of vitamins C and E and has been linked to increased risk of diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Shutterstock

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Lifestyle

Food & Drink

A bad taste in the mouth is the least of your worries if you eat food cooked in rancid oil; it depletes the body’s store of vitamins and is linked to disease
To minimise the risks, don’t buy oil in bulk, pay attention to its packaging – opaque bottles are best – and don’t store it too long or use it too slowly


All cooking oil goes bad. Depending on their ingredients and packaging, some oils last longer than others before turning rancid. Cooking food in rancid oil is bad for the health of those who eat it.


What you need to know about: food & drinks