Lipid content and fatty acid profiles of various deep-fat fried foods

Forty-one brands of nine different types of snack and convenience foods were purchased from food stores and fast service restaurants in the Sacramento area of California. All samples had been prepared by deep-fat frying. They included potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, cheese chips, cheese puffs, cake donuts, french fries, chicken pieces and fish pieces. These samples were analyzed in duplicate for total fat and fatty acid composition. The total lipid content of each type of food varied among different commercial sources; the average percentages were as follows: potato chips, 40; cheese puffs, 38; corn chips, 35; cheese chips, 25; tortilla chips, 24; cake donuts, 22; chicken thighs, 14; french fried potatoes, 14, and fish pieces, 10. The fatty acid profiles of the total lipids in several brands of potato chips were relatively constant. The fatty acid profiles of the total lipids in the corn and cheese snack foods varied widely. Fatty acid compositions of donuts, chicken and fish pieces and french fries were influenced by the amount and fatty acid profile of the lipids in each uncooked food, as well as by the composition of the cooking fat.