Fatty acid composition including trans-fatty acids in selected cereal-based baked snacks from Lebanon

•Twenty-four samples of cereal-based baked foods were collected from Lebanon.•Fatty acid profiles including trans fatty acids (TFA) of samples were analyzed.•Twenty samples contained >2g TFA/100g fat limit used by a number of countries.•TFA distribution indicated use of partially hydrogenated oil...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of food composition and analysis 2015-08, Vol.41, p.81-85
Main Authors: Saadeh, Carol, Toufeili, Imad, Zuheir Habbal, M., Nasreddine, Lara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ag-thin layer chromatography
Biscuits
Cakes
Cereal based baked snacks
Croissants
Food analysis
Food composition
Food safety
Gas chromatography
LEBANON foods
Partially hydrogenated oils
Trans fatty acids
Wafers
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:•Twenty-four samples of cereal-based baked foods were collected from Lebanon.•Fatty acid profiles including trans fatty acids (TFA) of samples were analyzed.•Twenty samples contained >2g TFA/100g fat limit used by a number of countries.•TFA distribution indicated use of partially hydrogenated oils in product formulation.•Findings warrant comprehensive analysis of TFA in foods in Lebanon and Middle East. Ten samples of biscuits (including plain, whole meal, cream-filled and chocolate-coated), 7 samples of cakes (including plain, chocolate and cream-filled), 4 samples of wafers (including plain, chocolate-filled, coated and chocolate-filled) and 3 samples of croissants (including plain and chocolate-filled) were collected from Lebanon, in 2006, and analyzed for their fatty acid composition including trans fatty acids (TFA) by AgNO3-thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography. All samples contained TFA ranging between 0.7 and 25.8g/100g fat and 20 out of the 24 analyzed samples contained more than 2% TFA on fat basis. The ratios of trans 18:1/(trans 18:2+trans 18:3) ranged between 4 and 15.3 thereby indicating formulation of the products with partially hydrogenated oils. The content of TFA in the samples showed similarities to those reported in similar product categories in developing countries. This study is the first to report data on the levels and spectrum of TFA in snack products in Lebanon and underlines the importance of developing effective policies for reducing the intake of TFA by populations in the Middle East.
ISSN:0889-1575
1096-0481
DOI:10.1016/j.jfca.2015.01.014