Lipid oxidation and antioxidants research in JAOCS for the past century

Abstract: Lipid oxidation and antioxidant research has been an important part of the growth and success of JAOCS for the past century. Rapid growth in published articles occurred from the 1940’s to the 1960’s as methodology for lipid oxidation research advanced. In the 40’s and 50’s, methods to measure oxidation in oils and foods started including methods for hydroperoxides, TBARS and oxygen absorption. In the 1960’s, more sophisticated GC methods became available to isolate and identify lipid oxidation products such as volatile fatty acid decomposition products and thus manuscripts doubled from the decade before. In the 70’s, investigators focused on identifying and characterizing prooxidants and in the 80’s work started on how physical factors such as water activity and interfaces impacted lipid oxidation. The 1990’s is when research started to increase on natural antioxidants and work on the mechanisms of lipid oxidation in oil-in-water emulsions started and continued to the present day. In the two last decades, oxidation in nanoparticles in oils and the toxicity of lipid oxidation products began to get more notice. Another trend over the last 3 decades has been to study oxidation in highly unsaturated omega-3 oils as interest in their health promoting effects increased. Industry continues to struggle with lipid oxidation and continuing to find methods to control oxidative deterioration is critical for the quality, sustainability (food waste) and safety of our food supply.