Packaged fried foods are regularly consumed in Burkina Faso. However, these local products sold for several
weeks after their production are not subject to any storage rules. The aim of this study was to monitor the quality
of seven packaged fried foods during storage at room temperature. For this, the mineral composition, humidity,
rancidity parameters, microbiological parameters, and color variation of these foods were determined monthly
for three months. The results showed a significant increase in the acid value, peroxide value, and total mesophilic
aerobic count in most samples during storage. The initial acid value of sweet cakes which was 22.5 mg KOH/kg,
tripled in the 2nd month of storage. Significant changes in color were also observed over the three months.
However, no significant changes in ash and fat contents were observed. Slight variations in humidity were noted
during storage. The initial fecal coliform load of all samples was in accordance with the standard. However, after
one month of storage, high and increasing levels of fecal coliforms were observed in potato chips (2.04 log CFU/
g) and locusts (2.86 log CFU/g). Fortunately, Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. loads in the various fried foods
remained zero during the storage. The quality of the packaging used for the seven fried foods was not suitable for
storage. These results show that the fried foods sold present non-negligible health risks. The most critical were
locusts and sweet cakes because they were associated with a very high acid value and FAMT load above the
recommended limit.

Fried foods,Oxidation,Quality,Quality Spoilage,Storag