ARS | Publication request: PREPARATION OF SPREAD OILS MEETING FDA LABELING REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANS FATTY ACIDS

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 2005
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: On July 11, 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced final regulations for trans fatty acid (TFA) labeling. By January 1, 2006, TFA content of foods must be labeled as a separate line on the Nutrition Facts label. Products containing less than 0.5 gm TFA/14 gm serving may be declared as zero. This paper describes technologies allowing compliance with labeling requirements. Soybean oil was hydrogenated in a 1-liter vessel at temperatures ranging from 140 to 170 deg C at a hydrogen pressure of 200 psi. A commercial nickel supported catalyst was used. The hydrogenated oils were characterized for fatty acid composition, solid fat and melting point. Compared to commercially processed soybean oil basestocks that contain about 40% TFA, those prepared in the present study contained about 17% TFA. When the stocks are blended with liquid soybean oil (70%), spread oils meeting FDA labeling requirements for TFA of less than 0.5 gm TFA/serving are met.