Trans fatty acids in margarines marketed in Brazil: Content, labeling regulations and consumer information

Abstract

A set of 46 different trademarks of margarines produced in Brazil by eight different companies was investigated in terms of the national labeling requirements for trans fatty acids (TFA). Experimental measurements of the content of total saturated fatty acids, cis-monounsaturated fatty acids, cis-polyunsaturated fatty acids and total TFA by gas chromatography showed the reliability of the data listed on the nutrition facts panel, which were used as reference for this analysis. The results revealed that 50% of the manufacturers and 13% of all the investigated trademarks of margarines violated the current Brazilian labeling regulations. A group of 200 consumers categorized by age, sex and years of formal education was also questioned about the importance of nutrition labeling information and TFA. Approximately 33% of the consumers interviewed were not informed about the possible detrimental effects of TFA on human health. Individuals with longer years of formal education and those affected by coronary heart diseases attributed to the intake of TFA were most interested in reading the nutrition labeling.

Comparison of Fatty Acid Composition between Female and Male Japanese Quail Meats

“…It is well known that there are different constitutions in point of fatty acids structure; fatty acids include carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen and are categorized as saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) [18]. SFAs and trans fatty acids (TFAs) give rise to negative effects on human health such as cardiovascular disease, endothelial dysfunction, coronary heart disease, the resistance to insulin, increased levels of blood lipids, inflammation, and the increase in LDL/HDL ratio, [19][20][21][22] while PUFAs have a positive effect on human health [23]. Thus, the importance of the PUFAs such as omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) acids in the diet has importantly become more important [24].…”

Were policies in Brazil effective to reducing trans fat from industrial origin in foods?

“…Those authors found that about 55% of the products analyzed were not adequate to the ANVISA’s legislation, particularly regarding the portion size information and the TFA content. In another study, the TFA level in some margarines purchased at supermarkets in Brazil remained over 50% after regulation 3 . Finally, when comparing the TFA concentrations found in this study with those found by Winter et al 33 , there is a high reduction of this type of fatty acid in straw potatoes − also known as shoestring fries potatoes − sold in Brazil (almost 15 g/100 g), probably by replacing the hydrogenated vegetable fat used for frying with other types of oils.…”