General Veterinary Biochemistry

EXERCISE-12: ESTIMATION OF ACID NUMBER OF AN OIL

Definition

• Acid number is defined as “the number of milligrams of 0.1 N KOH required to neutralize completely, the free fatty acids present in 1 g of fat or oil”.
• Different fat samples may contain different amount of free fatty acids.
• On storage fats become rancid, which is caused by chemical or bacterial contamination. The amount of free fatty acids present is expressed as acid number or acid value. This acid number gives an indication about the age and quality of the oil.