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Trans Fatty Acids in Meat and Meat Products
Umit Gecgel1 Ismail Yilmaz1 Murat Tasan1 Orhan Daglioglu1 Metin Glda2 1Namik Kemal University, Agricultural Faculty, Department of Food Engineering,
59030 Tekirdag, Turkey 2Uludag University, Vocational High School Food Technology Program,
16700 Karacabey, Bursa, Turkey
Abstract Food is mainly composed of water, proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. Fat is closely
related to total energy intake. Fatty acids make up the main class of lipids in the human
diet, which are being found in nature mainly as glycerol esters that originate
triacylglycerols. In general, fat in meats derived from ruminant animals is composed of
about 45-55% of saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic acid), 45-50%
monounsaturated fatty acids (especially oleic acid) and relatively minor amounts of
polyunsaturated fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are also naturally present in foods,
although at a lower level. Thus, some of the unsaturated fatty acids ingested by
ruminants are partially hydrogenated by bacteria in the rumen and consequently these
isomers are present (2-9%) in ruminant fat, including meat and meat products. The
trans fatty acid contents of meat products are higher than trans fatty acid contents of
meat. Small amounts of trans-fatty acids are also present in poultry and pork fat. The
principal trans fatty acid was trans 18:1. Other trans fatty acids found were trans 18:2,
trans 18:3, and trans 16:1. Metabolic studies have shown that trans fats have adverse
effects on blood lipid levels increasing low density lipoprotein cholesterol while
decreasing high density lipoprotein cholesterol. The adverse effects of the trans fatty
acids on the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol are double
that of saturated fatty acids. Therefore, the possible increase in risk for those diseases
caused by a high trans fatty acid consumption should be carefully considered. In
practice, this implies an intake of less than 1% of daily energy intake. Therefore, the
FDA requires manufacturers labeling trans fat on the nutrition facts beginning in January
2006. In addition to FDA, some countries have considered regulating the intake of trans
fatty acids because of the recent increases in intake and the associated risk.