THE QUALITY AND STABILITY OF WALNUT OIL UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF STORAGE CONDITIONS

Ana Leahu, Mircea Oroian, Sorina Ropciuc

Abstract
   This study aims at determining the influence of various storage conditions on peroxid index value and colour in walnut oil.
   We assessed the quality and stability of the extracted oil during storage at temperatures of +4 ° C and + 20-22 ° C for six months of storage. We analyzed the following physical and chemical parameters of the walnut oil: acidity index, oil density, viscosity, iodine value and peroxide value. After six months of storage, we observed variations of the peroxide values (PV) ranging from 9.12 to 15.32 meq O₂ /kg walnut oil in samples stored at +4 ° C, while the storage color parameters L* a* b* of walnut oils, have not changed significantly.
   These observations are important because the walnut oil has a rich, nutty flavor that is perfect for salad dressings, to flavor fish and steaks and to sass with pasta.

Key words: walnut, total oil, stability, peroxide value, chromatic ordinates