# Loss of Vitamin E While Baking and Heating French Fries
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Content of Tocochromanols in Frozen Pre-Fried French Fries and Factors Affecting It
The current estimated average requirement (EAR) for vitamin E (i.e., the value of the intake estimated to meet the need for half of healthy individuals) is 12 mg of 2R-\(\alpha\)-tocopherol per day. This need correlates with the level of 12 \(\mu\)mol of \(\alpha\)-tocopherol/L in the blood serum, where the rate of oxidative-induced hemolysis is normal. The recommended dietary allowances (RDA, i.e., dietary intake that adequately meets the need for 97-98% of healthy individuals in the group) of 2R-\(\alpha\)-tocopherol (vitamin E) is 15 mg/day [44; 49]. French fries prepared from frozen pre-fried semi-finished products by baking (always 100 g) fulfill between 0.6% to 28.8% of the daily requirement for vitamin E (average 8.6%, median 6.1%) considering older recommendations for vitamin E intake (i.e., 12 mg \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c c c c c} \hline  & \(\alpha\)-T & \(\gamma\)-T & \(\delta\)-T & \(\alpha\)-T3 & \(\gamma\)-T3 & \(\delta\)-T3 & T + T3 & **Vit. E (\(\alpha\)-TE)** \\ \hline Minimum & 0.49 & n.d. & n.d. & 0.48 & n.d. & n.d. & 1.63 & 0.71 \\ Maximum & 34.27 & 3.83 & 1.17 & 3.82 & 2.32 & 0.74 & 37.13 & 34.58 \\ Average & 9.90 & 0.71 & 0.39 & 1.13 & 0.45 & 0.14 & 12.71 & 10.34 \\ Median & 6.63 & 0.31 & 0.36 & 0.77 & 0.20 & n.d. & 9.48 & 7.26 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Content of tocochromanols (mg/kg) in French fries prepared from pre-fried frozen material by baking them in a conventional and a microwave oven. TE/day), or, more precisely, between 0.3% to 22.8% (mean 6.6%, median 4.4%) considering newer recommendations for vitamin E intake (i.e., 15 mg \(\alpha\)-tocopherol per day). However, it is advisable to discuss the content of tocopherols in the fat of the analyzed foods rather than in the analyzed foods themselves while assessing individual foods as a source of vitamin E because it is undesirable to increase vitamin E intake while increasing excess fat intake (and energy: the composition of the consumed fat is a risk factor in the origin and development of many diseases, especially cardiovascular ones) [50; 51]. In the analyzed samples of baked French fries, the content of \(\alpha\)-tocopherol in fat ranges from 13.4 to 441.9 mg/kg (mean 176.7 mg/kg, median 149.1 mg/kg), the total tocopchromanol content ranges from 44.5 to 482.3 mg/kg (mean 230.0 mg/kg, median 196.1 mg/kg) and the vitamin E content in \(\alpha\)-TE ranges from 19.4 to 447.0 mg/kg (mean 185.3 mg/kg, median 157.3 mg/kg). This are values comparable to those reported in the previous literature [22; 26]. If we consider the reference value of the fat intake at 70 g [48] and the older recommendation for vitamin E intake (see above), then the vitamin E content of the fat intake should be at least 171 mg \(\alpha\)-TE/kg (to ensure sufficient vitamin E intake and adequate fat intake). Considering the same fat intake reference value and newer recommendations for vitamin E (see above), the vitamin E content in the fat intake should be at least 214 mg \(\alpha\)-tocopherol/kg. However, as illustrated by the histograms in Figures 2 and 3, a significant proportion of the baked French fries analyzed do not reach the given level. This is observed as 54.8% of the samples analyzed according to the older recommendations for vitamin E and 57.1% of samples according to the newer recommendations (i.e., a recommendation considering only activity of \(\alpha\)-tocopherol and recommending higher intakes of the vitamin, see above). That is, these foods are, in more than half of cases, a richer source of fat than vitamin E (accounting for the reference intakes of these nutrients). As Figures 2 and 3 show, baked pre-fried French fries, fried in palm fat, are a richer source of fat than vitamin E. On the other hand, baked pre-fried French fries in which sunflower oil was used as the frying medium are in most cases a richer source of vitamin E than fat (accounting for the reference intakes of these nutrients). This confirms the significant influence of the frying oil used on the quality of the food.