Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #170386
Title: PREDICTING TRANS FAT IN CEREAL AND SNACK FOODS

Author
item Kays, Sandra
item Morrison Iii, Wiley
item Himmelsbach, David

Submitted to: Eastern Analytical Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2004
Publication Date: 11/15/2004
Citation: Kays, S.E., Morrison III, W.H., Himmelsbach, D.S. 2004. Predicting trans fat in cereal and snack foods [abstract]. Eastern Analytical Symposium. Abstract no. 11, p. 2.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Recent changes in food labeling legislation in the USA and Canada require a declaration of trans fat levels on food product labels. The methods available for trans fat determination, for nutrition labeling, are extremely time consuming and solvent dependent, creating hazardous waste. They involve acid hydrolysis of the food matrix, solvent extraction and methylation of fatty acids and capillary GC analysis. Near-infrared spectroscopy was investigated as a rapid method for predicting trans fatty acid levels in cereal and snack foods. Initially, NIR spectra of ground products were obtained with an NIRSystems spectrometer and reference data by capillary GC analysis of esterified fatty acids in crude fat extracts. A partial least squares model (n=47) was developed with a SECV of 1.1 percent (range 0-8.1 percent) trans fat and multiple coefficient of determination of 0.84. The results indicate that NIR spectroscopy has potential for rapid screening of trans fat levels in cereal food products with utility depending on the reference method used for model development.