FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION IN BRAZILIAN VEGETAL CREAMS

Analytical studies were carried out on fourteen vegetal creams represe ntative of Brazilian consumer-available products. All of the vegetal c reams were compared on the basis of total fatty acid composition, poly unsatured to satured fatty ratios. Amounts of individual lipids (norma lized weight percentage, calculated as triglyceride) found in vegetal creams were: palmitate, 10.51% to 25.30%; stearate, 5.64% to 10.22%; o leate, 32.15% to 57.77%; linoleate, 9.48% to 45.89%; and linolenate, 0 % to 3.84%. The one vegetal cream containing sunflower oil, showed the highest polyunsaturated to saturated ratio and only one vegetal cream presented the ratio smaller than 1.2.