Soybean oil, owing to its FA composition, is highly susceptible to deterioration by oxidation. The use of nitrogen gas permits the removal of dissolved oxygen and oxygen in the headspace of tanks and bottles. The objective of this work (an industrial trial) was to evaluate the shelf life of soybean oil packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles with different levels of oxygen in the headspace (<0.3, 5-6.5, 7-9, and >15%). The quality of the oil was evaluated during 6 mon. FFA and moisture increased and the smoke point decreased in all experimental conditions, even though the difference between the experiments was not significant. An increase was observed for peroxide value (PV), anisidine value (AV), and specific extinction, and higher increases in these parameters were observed in higher oxygen concentrations. After 180 d, the difference between the PV and AV was significant. According to sensory analysis, the shelf life of the oil increased from 60 to 90, 120, and 180 d as the initial concentration of oxygen was reduced from >15%, 7-9%, 5-6.5%, and 0-3%, respectively. The results demonstrated that shelf life of soybean oil packaged in PET bottles can be significantly increased by using nitrogen to reduce available oxygen in the headspace.Because of its quality and low cost, soybean oil is the most important vegetable oil produced worldwide. Brazil produced more than 4.4 million tons and consumed approximately 2.4 million tons in 2005, the latter tonnage representing 95% of the total vegetable oils consumed (1). Because of its high content of PUFA, soybean oil is susceptible to oxidative rancidity, which can be caused by the reaction of atmospheric oxygen and/or the oxygen in the headspace of the plastic containers and/or the oxygen dissolved in the product with the unsaturated portion of the FA present in the oils and fats. The reaction is favored by high temperatures, the incidence of light, and the presence of pro-oxidant metals (2).Soybean oil processing includes several stages, such as refining and packaging, that are designed to provide high-quality refined oil to the consumer. The package has a fundamental role in the control of interactions between the oil and the environment, protecting against oxidation and preserving product quality until the end of its useful life. Plastic, mainly PET (polyethylene terephthalate), has been dominating the Brazilian market in the last two decades. Although PET forms a good barrier to oxygen, its permeability to water vapor is relatively high, and the product contained therein is more exposed to light, which can affect the oxidative stability of oil (3). Because the oxygen concentration in the package affects the speed of the oxidation reaction, industries use nitrogen to fill the internal space of the tanks during storage and the plastic bottles during filling to reduce the amount of oxygen in contact with the oil, delaying oxidation reactions and increasing the shelf life of the oil.The importance of investigating the oxidative stability of oil lies in the c...