In Brazil, the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) made the labeling of trans fats in foods mandatory from July 2006. The claim "trans fat free" can be used only for foods with trans fat content lower than 0.2g and saturated fat content lower than 2g per serving. This study determined fatty acid profile by gas chromatography and total fat content of nine cookie types and three bread types and the results obtained were compared with the values reported on the labels of these products. According to the results, 92% of the products contained trans fat, although only 33% reported this on their labels. There was no significant difference with the experimentally determined levels of the products that reported the presence of trans fat. In 67% of the products that reported an absence of trans fat on their labels, less than 0.2g of trans fat per serving was experimentally detected. The results revealed that the food product manufacturers studied are labeling trans fat content properly according to the law as they report products that have less than 0.2g trans fat as "trans fat free". However, it bears noting that claiming that a product is free of trans fat on the label does not always guarantee that it is not present in the product and that the maximum suggested daily intake of 2g will not be exceeded relatively easily considering that consumers do not always consume only the amount identified as the serving size on the label. Also, the paper enabled a discussion about the lack of standardization in the description of fat used as ingredient in foods.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to compare the trans fatty acids (TFA) content in foods before and after the implementing of the method for controlling trans fatty acids in meals (MCTM) in a Brazilian restaurant. Design/methodology/approach -Analysis by gas chromatography was performed on 49 processed foods used as ingredients for culinary preparations (42 and seven samples before and after the implementation of the method, respectively) and 57 prepared foods (31 and 26 samples before and after the implementation of the method, respectively). In addition, the meal preparation process was monitored before the implementation of the MCTM method in order to identify the changes resulting from its application. Findings -As a result of the application of the method the processed foods whose labels reported the presence of ingredients potentially containing industrial trans fat acids (iTFA) were not purchased and used in food preparations; standard recipes prepared with processed foods free of iTFA were implemented; and also the restaurant's staff were trained to control the frying process for preparing fried foods. The average content of TFA per 100 g of prepared food was 0.21 g less ( p ¼ 0.038) after the implementation of the method. Practical implications -The MCTM method showed to be a viable and effective tool for reducing TFA levels in the studied restaurant. Originality/value -The developed method is original since no similar tool for controlling of TFA in food services has been found in the scientific literature. The fatty acid profile determination in the meals prepared after the MCTM implementation showed a reduction in TFA, indicating that the method was also viable and efficient.