UCO (English Used Cooking Oil) is a mixture of used cooking fats that are no longer fit for consumption. Vegetable oils change their chemical properties during the thermal processing of dishes. The fats are oxidized and hydrolyzed, the oil’s smoke point is lowered and its density and color change. Oxygen and water contained in food mainly affect short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which is of particular importance for the quality of frying and the taste of food. However, long-term exposure of fats to high temperatures leads to chemical reactions that result in the formation of trans isomers, fatty acid polymers and acrolein, which are harmful to health and penetrate into the food during frying. The used cooking oil must therefore be removed from the kitchen.

However, such waste can be managed to the benefit of the natural environment. Properly prepared used cooking oil can be an excellent component for the production of biofuels. UCO biodiesel has 90% lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to fossil fuels, and kitchen waste does not end up in the environment and does not pollute the soil and groundwater!