The Increasing Use of Interesterified Lipids in the Food Supply and Their Effects on Health Parameters

Abstract

A variety of modified fats that provide different functionalities are used in processed foods to optimize product characteristics and nutrient composition. Partial hydrogenation results in the formation of trans FAs (TFAs) and was one of the most widely used modification processes of fats and oils. However, the negative effects of commercially produced TFAs on serum lipoproteins and risk for cardiovascular disease resulted in the Institute of Medicine and the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans both recommending that TFA intake be as low as possible. After its tentative 2013 determination that use of partially hydrogenated oils is not generally regarded as safe, the FDA released its final determination of the same in 2015. Many food technologists have turned to interesterified fat as a replacement. Interesterification rearranges FAs within and between a triglyceride molecule by use of either a chemical catalyst or an enzyme. Although there is clear utility of interesterified fats for retaining functional properties of food, the nutrition and health implications of long-term interesterified fat consumption are less well understood. The Technical Committee on Dietary Lipids of the North American Branch of the International Life Sciences Institute sponsored a workshop to discuss the health effects of interesterified fats, identify research needs, and outline considerations for the design of future studies. The consensus was that although interesterified fat production is a feasible and economically viable solution for replacing dietary TFAs, outstanding questions must be answered regarding the effects of interesterification on modifying certain aspects of lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammatory responses, hemostatic parameters, and satiety.

The effect of oil type on network formation by protein aggregates into oleogels

“…3 Although research concerning these health implications of the various fatty acids is still on-going, 4 legislative action has been taken to ban partially hydrogenated oils in food products. Additionally, with regard to the cholesterol composition in the blood, it has been shown that replacement of saturated fats with poly unsaturated fatty acids, as ubiquitously present in liquid oil, has clear health benets.…”

Interesterified fats: What are they and why are they used? A briefing report from the Roundtable on Interesterified Fats in Foods

“…Chemical interesterification has been in commercial use since the 1940s, when it was used to modify the solid fat content of lard as a means of improving its spreadability and baking properties (Mensink et al . ). It remains the main form of interesterification used in the UK.…”

“…Considerations for future studies on the metabolic effects of IE fats were highlighted in a previous expert workshop convened by the International Life Sciences Institute (Mensink et al . ) and were also discussed at the roundtable (Table ). Some of the considerations listed in Table reflect advances in our understanding of the breadth of factors which determine overall cardiometabolic risk.…”

“… Source: Mensink et al . and the Roundtable on Interesterified Fats in Foods. CVD, cardiovascular disease; HDL, high‐density lipoprotein; IE, interesterified; LDL, low‐density lipoprotein; NADPH, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; SFA, saturated fatty acids; VLDL, very‐low‐density lipoprotein. …”

Physical compatibility between wax esters and triglycerides in hybrid shortenings and margarines prepared in rice bran oil

“…Therefore, other processes, like full hydrogenation, interesterification, and/or blending, have been applied as alternatives to minimise the amounts of trans ‐fats in food products . Despite the lack of evidence directly relating an increase in cardiovascular diseases to the consumption of saturated fat, it has been suggested that the nutritional profile of our diet can be improved if saturated fat is replaced with unsaturated fat . This raises a challenging question to food scientists to create healthier shortenings, without trans ‐fatty acids and a reduced amount of saturated fatty acids, which have desirable functional and sensory properties…”