TECHNICAL AND NUTRITIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF TRANS-FATTY-ACIDS IN HYDROGENATED OILS

Customers are increasingly paying attention to fats and oils because t hey are strongly health related. Many points are still confusing about this, but certainly there is one that will soon become public concern : the presence of trans fatty acids in hydrogenated fats and their pro ducts. Natural fats and oils from vegetable origin lack this trans iso mers. Eventhough the production of the trans isomers during hydrogenat ion is unavoidable it can be controlled and minimized. The presence of these components modify technical characteristics as well as introduc e problems and alterations in health and nutritional aspects. High tra ns fatty acids values (up 62%) were found in Brazilian products. A rel evant effect in solid content (SFC) at low temperatures was observed b ut no influence in the softening point. Possible nutritional and healt h effects related to trans fatty acids will be discussed.