Determination of Fatty Acid Composition and Total Trans Fatty Acids in Cereal-Based Turkish Foods

In order to reduce the saturated fat content of processed foods, the food industry in developed countries has moved progressively from animal fat to vegetable fat sources. The fatty acid composition of hydrogenated fat is complex with monoene fatty acids (cis and trans) possessing double bonds at positions 4 to 16, depending on the hydrogenation technique. In general, the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids in processed foods containing hydrogenated fat is higher than that of saturated fatty acids. The major fatty acids present in most cereal products, excluding trans fatty acids (TFAs), are C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 and C18:2. TFAs are formed by partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils for manufacture of shortenings and margarines. In general, the concentration of TFAs in a partially hydrogenated oil increases with increasing hydrogenation. Partially hydrogenated oils are now used in place of palm oil in many processed foods and therefore TFAs are found in a wide variety of foods. They are also produced in ruminants via bacterial action, and occur naturally in dairy and other animal fats. Although rare, TFAs have been reported in six species of plants1,4−7. ∗Corresponding author