Is deep-frying silicone oil safe for home use?
Perhaps it is due to confusion surrounding silicone, but what studies exist that document the safety and best practices of using silicone oil? I understand it is used for as an anti-foaming agent in deep-frying, and also has medicinal purposes (as an anti-flatulant); but in a high temperature evironment, does it remain inert and safe?
Best Answer
Not much is out there.
Food-grade silicone oil (dimethylpolysiloxane, for the chemists out there) is routinely used in medical and food-prep devices, and it has been approved by the US FDA Office of Food Additive Safety for use as a direct additive in diverse foods, like milk, dry gelatin dessert mix, canned pineapple juice, and even salt. Of course, we're talking about minuscule amounts, in the range of 100 ppm; at high concentrations, it is a skin and eye irritant. So what level is safe? We can't assume that the FDA ever tested it, as the Office of Food Additive Safety is woefully underfunded.
An informal literature search yielded me only a handful of scientific articles looking at silicone oil in frying. The most promising was by Bertrand Matthaus, Norbert Haase, and Klaus Vossman, "Factors affecting the concentration of acrylamide during deep fat frying of potatoes," Eur. J. Of Lipid Sci. & Tech., V.106(11), pp. 793-801 (Nov 2004) (fig. 3 specifically measures acrylamide concentration as a function of the amount of silicone oil). Unfortunately, I don't have a subscription, so I can't tell what the bottom line was.
Myself, I don't see the benefit of using it at home.
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Quick Answer about "Is deep-frying silicone oil safe for home use?"
Food-grade silicone oil (dimethylpolysiloxane, for the chemists out there) is routinely used in medical and food-prep devices, and it has been approved by the US FDA Office of Food Additive Safety for use as a direct additive in diverse foods, like milk, dry gelatin dessert mix, canned pineapple juice, and even salt.Is silicone oil safe to eat?
Some experts have voiced their concerns over silicone breast implants and other \u201caccepted\u201d uses for silicone within the human body. You should also never eat or drink silicone.Is silicone safe for deep frying?
Answer: Silicone kitchen utensils are said to withstand heat up to 600 deg Fahrenheit (varies with manufacturer). Hot oil temperature ranges from 350 to 375 deg Fahrenheit (unless overheated - oil can catch fire at 500 deg F). So, yes, it would be safe to say that silicone kitchen tools can be used with hot oil.What oil is best for home frying?
Vegetable oil is the best oil for deep frying. Canola oil and peanut oil are other popular options. While vegetable oil, canola oil, and peanut oil are the most popular oils for deep frying, there are several other oil options you can choose: Grapeseed Oil.Is deep frying at home safe?
While these items are often purchased at a restaurant, deep fat frying is also a popular way to cook in home kitchens. However, deep frying in hot oil can be extremely dangerous. Hot oil can burn people and start fires. If food is not cooked to a safe temperature, it can cause a foodborne illness.10 Deep Frying Mistakes most home cooks make
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