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Title: TRANS ACIDS IN SPECIALTY LIPIDS

Author
item List, Gary

Submitted to: International Conference & Exhibition of Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2002
Publication Date: 11/20/2002
Citation: LIST, G.R. TRANS ACIDS IN SPECIALTY LIPIDS. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION OF NUTRACEUTICALS & FUNCTIONAL FOODS. 2002. v. 15. p. 1-6.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The role of trans acids in human health and nutrition is highly controversial and a search of the Internet reveals the interest in the subject. Trans acids are perceived as "killer fats" at one end of the spectrum to having no adverse effects at the other. In addition, saturated fats are perceived as having adverse effects as well. A discussion of edible oil hydrogenation is beyond the scope of this paper. The reader is referred to a number of excellent reviews given in fats and oils textbooks. Approximately 15 billion pounds of soybean oil were consumed in the United States during the year 2000-2001 broken down as follows: salad/cooking oils 7.23 billion pounds, margarine/spreads 1.34 billion pounds, shortening 6.21 billion pounds, other edible 128 million pounds. Precisely how much hydrogenated soybean oil is included in these figures cannot be accurately estimated because salad/cooking oil group includes the sale of unhydrogenated oil and the margarine, spread and shortening categories may include liquid unhydrogenated oils in their formulations. This paper will review current U.S. formulation methods employed to manufacture margarine/spreads, specialty shortenings and dual purpose salad/cooking oils from soybean oil with emphasis on trans fatty acid content.