Trans fatty acid-forming processes in foods: a review

Abstract

There is a mounting concern about the intake of foods containing trans fatty acids (TFA) due to their deleterious effects on human health, mainly on the cardiovascular system. In this way, it is important to consider the processes that form TFA in foods, and the alternatives to minimize them. Among the processes that result in the formation of TFA, the hydrogenation of vegetable oils stands out for its impact on the diet of people living in industrialized countries. Other processes such as edible oil refi ning, meat irradiation, food frying, and biohydrogenation also contribute to increase the daily intake of TFA.

Influence of the Addition of Flavoring on the Sodium Content of Fried Potato Chips and the Fatty Acid Profile

“…Various factors may lead to the formation of trans fatty acids, including h igh processing temperature during the oil deodorization and long processing time and h igh temperature during food frying [16,17].…”

Zero tolerance to trans fatty acids in infant formula? Fears, fiction, and facts

“…Developed in the early 1900s, tFA bridge the gap between solid and liquid lipid products. 6 Fully hydrogenated, saturated fatty acid chain molecules line up in an orderly fashion and maximise intermolecular forces, producing solid fats. Trans fatty acids which are partially hydrogenated, unsaturated fatty acids, have kinks in the molecular tails, preventing stable interactions.…”

Effect of Frying Temperature and duration on the Formation of Trans Fatty Acids in Selected Fats and Oils

“…Trans fatty acid has been a matter for debate in last years, especially after the studies which showed that industrial trans acids such as elaidic acid occurs in hydrogenation of vegetable oils, margarine, fat spread, shortening vegetable oils and food containing hydrogenation of plant oils and margarine, such as bakery, sweets, cakes, donuts, and frying foods, made with partially-hydrogenated fats [1,2,3]. The human lipase enzyme digest, transport, and process dietary lipids such as triglycerides, fats, and oils and works only on the cis configuration and cannot metabolize trans fatty acids [1,4].…”

“…This includes the trans monoenes mainly steroisomers of elaidic acid, and the trans isomers of polyunsaturated fatty acids (trans dienes, trans trienes) with non-conjugated carbon-carbon double bonds, produced through hydrogenation of oils and fats (both vegetable and animal/marine origin) in the presence of a suitable chemical catalyst [2]. The definition, however, excludes conjugated trans fatty acids present naturally in animal fats and their products that include conjugated linoleic acid.…”