Why Is It Bad to Reuse Cooking Oil? Health Hazards Of Frying Oil

Really good blog... needs to know all these facts

Thats amazing information. We are aware of not using oil used for frying again, but implementing it in joint family is a problem at times. But surely this has triggered me to immediately work on it for eventually benefit of all. Thanks... its very interesting blog.

Very informative!! Thanks for sharing..

Hi neetu,I'm glad that I'm doing the same thing what u mentioned like reusing of the oil in paranthas n all. now I can tell everyone that I was right. People don't listen n they reuse the same oil may be thrice also.

Good idea avani

Very informative blog! Once I read on internet, restaurant people bury in soil such oil in large quantities. Better than throwing away oil used after frying..... strain it n store it in plastic bottle..... light up a diya everyday with this oil. Diya outside the main door. Looks good with rangoli besides it!! I do it n feel good about not adding up to pollution in nature!!

Neetu pls tell me the time frame in which the oil should be used after frying.. should I give to my maid

Very well said Neetu and thanks for sharing such useful tips

Thanks Sheena for spreading awareness about reusing the same oil

Thanks for the valuable information and tips. Could you please also tell us - the smoking point of desi ghee - cooking temperature required for pakorhas, purees, etc. Is the cooking temperature less than the smoking point ? - does the oil go bad only when it reaches and/or crosses the smoking point, or does it go bad even when the temperature for frying is below smoking point ?

Very informative n useful to all of us

Very informative.... good article.. helpful to all mums.... thanks for letting us know how to use or discard leftover..

Good article but can we use the oil in gravy dishes the next day

Very innovative and useful blog thanks for sharing with us neetu

True this is a very knowledgeable eye opener... Some of my relatives has already been following this practice..... However there works the devil's mind most of our people have been using tge reused oils and they are healthy. That way in today's world we get most of the products in the adulterated form.

Very useful blog... thanks for sharing...

Yes Chanda, even I feel better reusing it for veggies than for frying. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts :)

really informative and a didn't know fact. and I guess its better to reuse frying oil in making vegetables etc. than reusing for fying.

Hi Arthy and Richa. As shared in the blog,I myself try to avoid reusing frying oil if it has been used twice. You will notice that it begins to give off smoke as soon as we put it on the flame. That in fact is harmful and I avoid using it. But I also find it difficult to throw away used oil all the time as it is so expensive. So what I mostly do is use the oil once for frying and then use it to make masala (onion+tomato) that we use for other preparations. As mentioned in comments above by fellow mothers, some use it for making paranthas. The idea is not to use the same oil again and again for frying as heating again and again makes it really harmful. I loved another idea shared by a mother - to use it for lighting oil lamps :)

Hi neetu very useful blog im using rice bran oil after frying I reuse it in vegetables or for podis in idlis is that too harmful please guide

Wat v do is use the oil in cooking.. is dat hazardous too??

hiii neetu... thnx for sharing such useful article... i reuse it to make paranths or cooking veegies within d nxt two days of using it...

Thank you friends!

Thanks for the informative blog, Neetu! I specially liked the best way to Dispose of used oil section.

Avani... great suggestion!!! thanks :)

Thanks for the informative write up. I do not reuse oil that has been used for frying once. Would like to share my disposal method. I strain it and store it in a separate jar, to be used for lighting diyas at Diwali time. (We use earthen diyas to decorate the house).

To discard used up or stale oil put it in a plastic or glass containers which you need to throw anyways. Now a days in most of the places there are these NGOs who do collect these used oil for converting it into fuel.

Just like all the moms who have shared their views here, I try not to reuse the oil once used for frying... luckily now I get most of my kids favorite food like fries, chicken nuggets, fish fingers etc. to bake in the oven. And its tastes better more crispy and above all healthier. One tip to make it crispier.... put it on a baking paper.

Hi.. was re-reading this post to update myself and found that the boiling point if rice barn isn't mentioned.. I use rice barn oil.. as its a better option but have found that after I use it for frying, it smokes up on reheating and if i use it for tadka.. it foams... can u guide me on this..

thank u for info

Oh, nice to learn that your grand mum was aware and conscious about this issue even back then :)

Hi Neetu, I agree with Anupreeta's concern. I have a solution for it, though many may not approve of it. My Grandma was also very concious of not reusing frying oil and also of not wasting it by pouring down the drain. Instead she would strain it, bottle it up and use for applying on her legs or the soles of her feet at night or about 1 hour before her bath in the morning. That ways her feet were beautiful and soft too, and there was no oil wastage or pollution either. :)

hi Anupreeta! thank you for your insight. In fact the reason that we may not want to pour oil down the kitchen sink is to avoid clogging of drains and also to prevent the oil from mixing into sewage water. Discarding it separately will ensure both of these :)

The article is good. However i am not convinced with the suggested way of disposing used oil. In this age where we ae advised to keep dry waste and wet waste separate, how does pouring oil in plastic bag be a better otpion than thoring it down the kitchen sink ? At this point even i am not sure how to dispose it. but maybe an article on hoiw to dispose kithcen waste is called for :)

very informative Neetu, thank you

Very beautifully put up. Thanks a ton for sharing. Had heard about avoiding reuse of heated oil but was unaware of actual facts.

Thanks for info

Thanks for info

Thank you Neetu for such an informative blog

Thank you Neetu for such an informative blog

Thank you Neetu for such an informative blog

Thank you Neetu for such an informative blog

Hi Aparna! I prefer not using the used frying oil for food that my child is also going to have. At my place I try using it for paranthas or perhaps in a veggie dish that my child wont have :) We also need to remember that the same oil is harmful for the adults in the family as well, specially the elderly. If you will read through the comments by other friends above, you will find that most people refrain from using it for main dishes. hope this helps.. !

Thank you so much for this very informative blog. I reuse the oil used for frying only for tadka, hoping its NOT very harmful.

Thanks for the piece of information. It is done so commonly yet not at all noticed. Will keep in mind whenever i reuse the oil. Thanks a lot.

Thanks for sharing such important information. Thanks again.

thanks Anne!

This is a very informative article Neetu. Thank you for it!

Hi Alpana, glad that you found the write up useful. This is what I do : Use the oil once for frying, strain and store as you said, and reuse it for making paranthas and cooking veggies. But I discard it if 1. It was used to fry non vegetarian food. (For this, I use a small quantity of oil since I know I am going to have to throw it away). 2. I don't reuse frying oil for preparing my child's food. 3. If the oil has waited too long to be used again (since I forgot all about it :)),I prefer discarding it. Hope this resolves your query. thanks.

Cool article. I had a question, what about if you use the oil for frying once and then, after straining, just use it for your daily cooking needs?

I got many new information after reading this details. thanks. now v won't use same oil even for 2nd frying.

very informative.. thanks for the article.

yes truely said. Thanks for sharing the very good tip which is useful to each one of us.

Hi Sheena, you are one step ahead, you are doing just the right thing by using a small quantity and not reusing the same oil for frying. From my learning, it seems ok to use this oil for preparing other food items.. I do it myself. Another thing that I do is to discard the oil if it has been sitting there too long waiting to be used again, it does pinch a bit, but cannot come around to using stale oil :)

I use oil only once for deep frying that too in very less quantity. and then keep it separate so that I can use it for normal cooking like preparing parathas, veggies etc... do you think this is ok or better to throw it away only?

Tnx Neetu...... infact this question was running thru my mind just few days back. This is quite an informative blog. Thanks again.

Thanks Ms. Sodhi! Validation by an expert only helps reinforce the urgency of the situation and the much needed change. Thanks Sharvari !

very informative i like the suggestion and signs when the oli has t obe thorwn thanks for this article

A very relevant article and a wake up call to all those who mindlessly reuse oil oblivious to the dire consequences of doing so.

thanks Navneet and Anurima !

This is a common practice in most households. We do not realize the harm something as simple as reusing cooking oil can do to our health. Very well written Neetu. It is indeed an eye opener :)

very informative, indeed neetu; but what i liked the most is that it is doable.... there r plenty of ways you have suggested keeping in mind every aspect that cud cross the mind of a homemaker... very nice, waiting for more

Yes Aashna, researching the subject was itself an eye opener for me. A bit of frying happens in most households, specially the ones with children. Hope fellow parents will find this information useful. thanks!

Very informative Neetu. We so often reuse oil without thinking twice about it. It is time we thought a little more from the perspective of the impact it can have on one's health and not from the cost aspect.