Determination of the oxidation stability of foods with a low fat content is a challenge. As an alternative, the oxidation stability can be specified indirectly. To accomplish this, a determination is made as to the extent that a sample that has been mixed with a fat as a standard solution, e.g., hog fat, will change the oxidation stability of that standard solution. This is accomplished by first determining the induction time of the mixture made up of hog fat and the sample and then by determining the corresponding time for the lard alone. The quotient is referred to as the stability index (SI).