Deep‐fat frying is one of the most commonly used procedures for the preparation and manufacture of foods in the world. During deep‐fat frying, oxidative and thermal decompositions may take place with the formation of volatile and nonvolatile decomposition products, some of which in excessive amounts are harmful to human health. A limited survey of frying fats used in commercial operations indicated that some were maintained at good quality and others were overused or abused. The volatile decomposition products produced by corn oil, hydrogenated cotton‐seed oil, trilinolein, and triolein, under simulated commercial frying conditions, were collected, fractionated, and identified. A total of 211 compounds were identified. The nonvolatile decomposition products produced by trilinolein, triolein, and tristearin under simulated commercial frying conditions were collected and characterized. After being treated under deep‐fat frying conditions at 185 C for 74 hr, trilinolein yielded 26.3% non‐urea‐adduct‐forming esters, triolein yielded 10.8%, and tristearin also yielded 4.2%.