METHODS AND DEVICES FOR MONITORING OF FRYING OIL QUALITY
First Claim
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1. A method of evaluating the quality of frying oil, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing frying oil that potentially comprises free fatty acid content;
providing an oil-absorbent sampling substrate,wherein the sampling substrate contains a plurality of test zones,wherein each test zone is responsive to free fatty acid;
contacting the oil with the sampling substrate such that a sample of the oil is brought into contact with at least a portion of each of the test zones;
directing light onto the plurality of test zones;
measuring the amount of light reflected from each test zone;
generating signals proportional to the amount of light reflected from each test zone,summing the signals together so as to provide an integrated signal;
correlating the integrated signal with the free fatty acid content of the oil;
and,reporting an indication of the oil quality of the oil,wherein the indication is associated with the free fatty acid content of the oil.
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Abstract
Herein are disclosed methods and devices for evaluating the quality of oils (e.g., cooking oil or flying oil). The methods can provide an indication of the free fatty acid content of the oil. The methods use an optical interrogation device to provide an indication of free fatty acid based on quantitative measurements of optical reflectance from test zones on a sampling substrate.
28 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of evaluating the quality of frying oil, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing frying oil that potentially comprises free fatty acid content; providing an oil-absorbent sampling substrate, wherein the sampling substrate contains a plurality of test zones, wherein each test zone is responsive to free fatty acid; contacting the oil with the sampling substrate such that a sample of the oil is brought into contact with at least a portion of each of the test zones; directing light onto the plurality of test zones; measuring the amount of light reflected from each test zone; generating signals proportional to the amount of light reflected from each test zone, summing the signals together so as to provide an integrated signal; correlating the integrated signal with the free fatty acid content of the oil; and, reporting an indication of the oil quality of the oil, wherein the indication is associated with the free fatty acid content of the oil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of evaluating the quality of frying oil, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an interrogation device that comprises a plurality of light source/photodetector pairs; providing an oil-absorbent sampling substrate, wherein the sampling substrate contains a plurality of test zones, wherein each test zone is responsive to free fatty acid; providing frying oil that potentially comprises free fatty acid content; contacting the oil with the sampling substrate such that a sample of the oil is brought into contact with at least a portion of each of the test zones; positioning the interrogation device and the sampling substrate such that each light source/photodetector pair is placed in proximity to a test zone, so as to provide a plurality of light source/photodetector/test zone sets; for each light source/photodetector/test zone set, directing light onto the test zone from the light source and measuring reflected light therefrom by the photodetector and generating a signal that is proportional to the measured reflected light; combining the signals from the photodetectors so as to provide a combined signal; correlating the combined signal with the free fatty acid content of the oil based on information stored in the interrogation device; and, reporting an indication of the oil quality of the oil, wherein the indication is associated with the free fatty acid content of the oil. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for evaluating the quality of frying oil, the system comprising:
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an oil-absorbent sampling substrate, wherein the sampling substrate contains a plurality of test zones, wherein each test zone is responsive to free fatty acid; and, an optical interrogation device that comprises a plurality of light source/photodetector pairs; wherein the interrogation device and the sampling substrate are configured such that each light source/photodetector pair can be placed in proximity to a test zone, so as to provide a plurality of light source/photodetector/test zone sets; wherein the interrogation device and the sampling substrate are further configured such that, for each light source/photodetector/test zone set, each test zone can be optically interrogated by the light source/photodetector pair so as to receive a signal therefrom, without moving the interrogation device and the sampling substrate relative to each other; and, wherein the interrogation device comprises means to combine the signals received from the test zones into a combined signal, means to correlate the combined signal with the free fatty acid content of the oil, and means to report an indication of the oil quality of the oil, wherein the indication is associated with the free fatty acid content of the oil. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification