The use of infrared spectroscopy in the study of fats and oils is reviewed. The importance of the mid‐infrared region in the study of lipids is shown. Differences between dispersive and Fourier‐transform infrared techniques are commented on and the experimental methods used in the handling of oil and fat samples are reported. The assignment of oil and fat bands of mid‐infrared spectra is made, and the usefulness of this technique to characterise oils and fats and to detect adulterations is reviewed. The application of spectroscopic data to determine the degree of unsaturation or iodine value, trans‐ double bonds content, free fatty acid content, average chain length or saponification number, solid fat content, as well as peroxide and anisidine values, is commented on. Also, the importance of this technique for monitoring oxidation processes is shown. © 1997 SCI.

Fourteen samples of edible oils and lard have been studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The spectra were recorded from a film of pure oil or lard between two discs of KBr. The bands of the spectra were assigned to different functional group vibrations. The frequencies of some bands have constant values, independent of the nature of the sample. However, frequencies of other bands, some of them in the fingerprint region, depend greatly on the sample composition. Equations obtained from frequency of these bands and composition data are valuable to predict the proportions of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated acyl groups in oils and lard.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a family of toxicants that are ubiquitous in the environment. These contaminants generate considerable interest, because some of them are highly carcinogenic in laboratory animals and have been implicated in breast, lung, and colon cancers in humans. These chemicals commonly enter the human body through inhalation of cigarette smoke or consumption of contaminated food. Of these two pathways, dietary intake of PAHs constitutes a major source of exposure in humans. Although many reviews and books on PAHs have been published, factors affecting the accumulation of PAHs in the diet, their absorption following ingestion, and strategies to assess risk from exposure to these hydrocarbons following ingestion have received much less attention. This review, therefore, focuses on concentrations of PAHs in widely consumed dietary ingredients along with gastrointestinal absorption rates in humans. Metabolism and bioavailability of PAHs in animal models and the processes, which influence the disposition of these chemicals, are discussed. The utilitarian value of structure and metabolism in predicting PAH toxicity and carcinogenesis is also emphasized. Finally, based on intake, disposition, and tumorigenesis data, the exposure risk to PAHs from diet, and contaminated soil is presented. This information is expected to provide a framework for refinements in risk assessment of PAHs from a multimedia exposure perspective.