Assoc. Prof. Dominik Kmiecik, PhD, from the Fat and Oil Group at Poznań University of Life Sciences, specializes in food chemistry, focusing on the production and application of edible fats and oils in technological processes. His research centers on thermal transformations of fats used for frying, as well as substances that act as stabilizers during thermal processes to enhance the quality and stability of fats, extending their usability in industrial frying operations.
Core investigations target thermo-oxidative degradation and polymerization of triacylglycerols in plant oils, analyzing mechanisms behind polar compound formation under the influence of temperature, process duration, frying method, and the surface to oil volume ratio, while also examining the behavior of key substances such as plant sterols and tocopherols during frying.
His work further encompasses the use of phenolic compounds from cold-pressed oils as anti-polymerization agents that outperform tocopherols in stabilizing frying media, studies on the thermal degradation of plant phytosterols and modified phytosterol esters as novel food ingredients, as well as research on alternative oil sources including hemp seed oil, microalgae oils, and fats from insects for sustainable functional foods.