In recent times, social networks have become platforms where creativity and innovation are intertwined with tips and tricks that can range from the useful to the dangerous. One of these tricks that has gained popularity on TikTok is the method of cleaning the oil used for cooking using a mixture of starch and water.
Ken Masuda explained it in a video, published on his profile on the Chinese platform, which went viral. However, according to the doctor in food science and technology, Miguel A. Lureña, this practice could entail health risks.
The trick proposed by Masuda on TikTok suggested making a mixture with starch and water, pouring it over the hot oil and then removing the fried dough that results. Thus, the oil was apparently clean and ready to be reused. However, through a thread published on his X account, formerly Twitter, Lureña pointed out that this technique does not address the real problem of used oil, which goes beyond visible food remains.
“The problem with used oil is not only what is seen, that is, the remains of charred food that are trapped in the mixture of starch and water, but also what is not seen,” Lureña explained. “When we heat the oil, reactions occur that lead to the formation of undesirable compounds, some of which are potentially harmful to health,” he added.
These undesirable compounds can arise especially when the oil is heated to high temperatures and combined with other components, such as the mixture of water and starch that the tiktoker proposed. Therefore, instead of using this method to clean the oil, Lureña recommended waiting for it to cool to filter it later and thus eliminate impurities more effectively.
In addition, the food technologist highlighted that the number of times oil can be reused depends on several factors, such as the type of food being fried, the type of oil used and the frying temperature. While some studies suggest that the oil can remain in good condition after more than 10 uses under controlled conditions, the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) recommends not exceeding 3 uses to reduce the formation of harmful compounds such as acrylamide. , as Lureña himself recalled.
