How to Increase the Solubility of TBHQ in Oil

Snack foods are often fried in oils that use TBHQ to extend shelf life.

TBHQ, or Tertiary Butyl Hydroquinone, is an antioxidant added to edible oils. It prevents oils from developing an off-taste or getting discolored because of oxidization. It also has a carry-through quality, which means that some foods cooked in it also become more resistant to the effects of oxidization. TBHQ increases the shelf life of the oils in which it is used and the products that are cooked in oils that use it, such as potato chips. The better TBHQ is dissolved into an oil, the more resistant the oil will be to oxidation. Does this Spark an idea?

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Instructions

- 1
  
  Increase the heat as you mix TBHQ in the oil. In most edible oils, TBHQ has a solubility of between 5 and 30 percent at 77 degrees Fahrenheit. TBHQ melts at 260 degrees Fahrenheit. As the temperature of the mix goes up, the solubility in oils increases dramatically.
- 2
  
  Dissolve TBHQ into a small quantity of oil using heat to complete the process, then dissolve that oil into the larger quantity of oil you want to fully treat. Some processors may be concerned about the degradation that heat itself causes to oil. It is much easier to dissolve a small quantity of oil that already has a large amount of TBHQ dissolved into it into a larger quantity of oil at room temperature.
- 3
  
  Use a solution that incorporates TBHQ but is designed to improve solubility. Several companies have designed compound solutions that increase the solubility of TBHQ to the extent that it can even be dissolved in water. Raw TBHQ is ordinarily considered effectively insoluble in water, even at high temperatures. The TBHQ solutions can be used in all edible oils.