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Fatty acid composition of danish margarines and shortenings, with special emphasis ontrans fatty acids

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Lipids

Abstract

Trans fatty acids from hydrogenated vegetable and marine oils could be as hypercholesterolemic and atherogenic as saturated fatty acids. Hence, it is important to know the fatty acid composition in major food contributors, e.g., margarines and shortenings. In 1992 margarines were examined, and in 1995 brands covering the entire Danish market were examined. Significant amounts oftrans-18∶1 were found only in hard margarines (mean: 4.2±2.8%) and shortenings (mean: 6.8 ±3.1%), whereas the semisoft and soft margarines contained substantially lesstrans-18∶1 in 1995 than in 1992. Where marine oils had been used to a larger degree the meantrans-monoenoic content was about 15%, of which close to 50% was made up of long-chain (C20 and C22)trans fatty acids. A note-worthy decrease in the content oftrans-18∶1 had occurred for the semisoft margarines, from 9.8±6.1% in 1992 to 1.2±2.2% in 1995. Calculated from sales figures, the supply oftrans-18∶1 plus saturated fatty acids from margarines had decreased over this three-year period by 1.4 g/day, which has been replaced bycis monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

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Abbreviations

GLC:

gas-liquid chromatography

HDL:

high density lipoprotein

LA:

lauric acid

LC:

long-chain fatty acids (C20 or longer; saturated and unsaturated)

LDL:

low density lipoprotein

LI:

lmoleic acid

MY:

myristic acid

PA:

palmitic acid

TFA:

trans fatty acids

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, National Food Agency, 19 Mørkhøj Bygade, 2860, Søborg, Denmark

    Lars Ovesen & Torben Leth

  2. Aarhus Landsdelslaboratorium, 8200, Aarhus, Denmark

    Kirsten Hansen

Authors
  1. Lars Ovesen
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  2. Torben Leth
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  3. Kirsten Hansen
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Ovesen, L., Leth, T. & Hansen, K. Fatty acid composition of danish margarines and shortenings, with special emphasis ontrans fatty acids. Lipids 31, 971–975 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02522691

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02522691

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