The effects of different plastic films on the stability of olive, sunflower and palm oils were studied at 24 and 37 deg C during 60 days of storage. The changes in peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value were significantly higher in the plastic bottles than in glass. The study indicates that the plastic permeability played a major role in oil stability. Howerver, both butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene were found to leach out from plastics films into vegetable oils during storage. The rate of oxidation was not reduced by antioxidant migration from plastic films to oils. Natural antioxidant retarded the oxidation rate and this was dependent on its concentration in oils examined. Results showed that the ranking of stability of oil samples is PVC>PET>PP>PS. Further, stability was dependent on type of oil.
