ABSTRACT
Many chemical reactions proceed in foods during storage and affect their sensory quality and/or nutritional value. The main chemical reactions of interest from this point of view include fermentation, Maillard, and lipid oxidation reactions. Rancidity is used as a collective term to describe objectionable sensory attributes in foods resulting from lipid oxidation reactions [1]. In the preindustrial period, food materials were used for immediate food consumption, and food products were usually consumed within a few hours or days. The rancidity of durable products, such as nuts, flour, lard, or olive oil, was considered normal and was dealt with variably in households. With industrialization and storage of food products for days or months before consumption, processes leading to food deterioration become substantially more important. Rancidity is observed in different foods as discussed in the book Rancidity in Foods [1].
