Cent Eur J Public Health 2022, 30(1):51-57 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a5928

Trans fatty acids in frequently consumed products from Serbian and Slovenian market

Danijela Ristić-Medić1, Snježana Petrović1, Tomaž Polak2, Jasna Bertoncelj2, Aleksandra Arsić1, Marija Takić1, Vesna Vučić1, Mirjana Gurinović1, Mojca Korošec2
1 Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
2 Department of Food Science and Technology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Objectives: Industrially produced trans fatty acid (iTFA) have adverse health effects and thus their consumption should be limited. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the iTFA content in frequently consumed food products by young adults from the Serbian and Slovenian market with supposedly elevated iTFA content in 2015. At the time of this study, there was no recommended limit of iTFA in both countries, and reduction of iTFA in foods was on voluntary basis.

Methods: We determined iTFA content in food products, 19 from the Serbian and 22 from the Slovenian market, blinded and analysed in the same analytical run. Contents of fatty acids (FA) methyl esters were analysed by capillary gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector. Heptadecanoic acid was used as internal standard. Individual FA along with TFA were expressed as percentages of total measured FA. The amount of each FA in the sample was then calculated from the response factor and the transformation factor of the FA from the FA methyl ester content.

Results: Elaidic acid (C18:1t) was found as the most abundant TFA in analysed products, ranging from 0.52 g/100 g of total FA in chocolate candy up to 60.4 g/100 g in a salami from Serbian market. In Slovenian products, the values for elaidic acid were lower, 0.04-3.95 g/100 g of total FA, except in one type of wafers (24.3 g/100 g).

Conclusions: The majority of analysed products from the Serbian and three from Slovenian market exceeded the recommended WHO and EU limit of 2% iTFA of total fat in foods. Samples of frequently consumed salami, wafers, tea biscuits, and snacks were identified as products with potentially higher burden of iTFA in diets of young adults in Serbia.

Keywords: trans fatty acids, confectionary products, snacks, fast food, Serbia, Slovenia

Received: August 27, 2019; Revised: February 12, 2022; Accepted: February 12, 2022; Published: March 31, 2022  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Ristić-Medić D, Petrović S, Polak T, Bertoncelj J, Arsić A, Takić M, et al.. Trans fatty acids in frequently consumed products from Serbian and Slovenian market. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2022;30(1):51-57. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a5928. PubMed PMID: 35421299.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Stender S, Astrup A, Dyerberg J. Ruminant and industrially produced trans fatty acids: health aspects. Food Nutr Res. 2008;52:10.3402/fnr.v52i0.1651. doi: 10.3402/fnr.v52i0.1651. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    2. Booker CS, Mann JI. Trans fatty acids and cardiovascular health: translation of the evidence base. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2008;18(6):448-56. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. Teegala SM, Willett WC, Mozaffarian D. Consumption and health effects of trans fatty acids: a review. J AOAC Int. 2009;92(5):1250-7. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    4. de Souza RJ, Mente A, Maroleanu A, Cozma AI, Ha V, Kishibe T, et al. Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ. 2015;351:h3978. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h3978. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. Bendsen NT, Christensen R, Bartels EM, Astrup A. Consumption of industrial and ruminant trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2011;65(7):773-83. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Stender S. Trans fat in foods in Iran, South-Eastern Europe, Caucasia and Central Asia: a market basket investigation. Food Policy. 2020;96:101877. doi: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101877. Go to original source...
    7. Spruk, R, Kovac, M. Does a ban on trans fats improve public health: synthetic control evidence from Denmark. Swiss J Econ Stats. 2020;156:4. doi: 10.1186/s41937-019-0048-0. Go to original source...
    8. World Health Organization. Noncommunicable diseases country profiles 2018 [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; 2018 [cited 2021 Dec 15]. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/274512.
    9. World Health Organization. REPLACE trans fat: an action package to eliminate industrially produced trans-fatty acids. Geneva: WHO; 2018.
    10. Astrup A, Bertram HC, Bonjour JP, de Groot LC, de Oliveira Otto MC, Feeney EL, et al. WHO draft guidelines on dietary saturated and trans fatty acids: time for a new approach? BMJ. 2019 Jul 3;366:l4137. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l4137. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Brouwer IA, Wanders AJ, Katan MB. Trans fatty acids and cardiovascular health: research completed? Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013;67(5):541-7. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    12. World Health Organization‎. Countdown to 2023: WHO report on global trans fat elimination 2021. Geneva: WHO; 2021.
    13. Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/649 of 24 April 2019 amending Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards trans fat, other than trans fat naturally occurring in fat of animal origin. Offic J Eur Union. 2019 Apr 25;62(L 110):17-20.
    14. Rule laying down maximum permitted levels of TFA in foodstuffs. Uradni list RS. 2018 March 20;28(18):2837-8. (In Slovenian.)
    15. Stender S, Astrup A, Dyerberg J. Artificial trans fat in popular foods in 2012 and in 2014: a market basket investigation in six European countries. BMJ Open. 2016;6(3):e010673. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2015-010673. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Ministry of Health. National Programme on Nutrition and Health Enhancing Physical Activity 2015-2025 [Internet]. Ljubljana: Ministry of Health, Republic of Slovenia; 2016 [cited 2019 Jan 20]. Available from: http://www.mz.gov.si/fileadmin/mz.gov.si/pageuploads/javno_zdravje_2015/resolucija_preh_gib/DTS_brosura__zgibanka_slo_in_angl/brosura_DTS_angl_A4_za_print.pdf. (In Slovenian.)
    17. Gurinović M, Kadvan A, Vukotić M, Nedeljković S. The quality of nutrition in schoolchildren and adult members of families. In: Nedeljkovic S, editor. Yugoslav study of atherosclerosis precursors in schoolchildren in Serbia: twenty years follow-up [Internet]. Belgrade: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine; 2011 [cited 2022 Feb 12]. p. 343-68. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284879123. (In Serbian.)
    18. Gabrijelčič Blenkuš M, Gregorič M, Tivadar B, Koch V, Kostanjevec S, Fajdiga Turk V, et al. Eating habits of the adult population of Slovenia from the aspect of health protection. Ljubljana: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education; 2009. (In Slovenian.)
    19. Park PW, Goins RE. In situ preparation of fatty acid methyl esters for analysis of fatty acid composition in foods. J Food Sci. 1994;59(6):1262-6. Go to original source...
    20. Polak T, Rajar A, Gašperlin L, Žlender B. Cholesterol concentration and fatty acid profile of red deer (Cervus elaphus) meat. Meat Sci. 2008;80(3):864-9. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. European Food Safety Authority. Scientific and technical assistance on trans fatty acids. EFSA supporting publication. 2018;15(6):EN-1433. doi:10.2903/sp.efsa.2018.EN-1433. Go to original source...
    22. Ghebreyesus TA, Frieden TR. REPLACE: a roadmap to make the world trans fat free by 2023. Lancet. 2018 May 19;391(10134):1978-80. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    23. Zupanič N, Hribar M, Pivk Kupirovič U, Kušar A, Žmitek K, Pravst I. Limiting trans fats in foods: use of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in prepacked foods in Slovenia. Nutrients. 2018 Mar;10(3):355. doi: 10.3390/nu10030355. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    24. Kravić SŽ, Suturović ZJ, Švarc-Gajić JV, Stojanović ZS, Pucarević MM, Nikolić IR. Fatty-acid composition including trans isomers of Serbian biscuits. Hem Ind. 2011;65(2):139-46. Go to original source...
    25. Kušar A, Hribar M, Lavriša Ž, Zupanič N, Pivk Kupirovič U, Hristov H, et al. Assessment of trans-fatty acid content in a sample of foods from the Slovenian food supply using a sales-weighting approach. Public Health Nutr. 2021;24(1):12-21. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Micha R, Khatibzadeh S, Shi P, Fahimi S, Lim S, Andrews KG, et al. Global, regional and national consumption levels of dietary fats and oils in 1990 and 2010: a systematic analysis including 266 country-specific nutrition surveys. BMJ. 2014;348:g2272. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g2272. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    27. Vučić V, Arsić A, Petrović S, Milanović S, Gurinović M, Glibetić M. Trans fatty acid content in Serbian margarines: urgent need for legislative changes and consumer information. Food Chem. 2015;185:437-40. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    28. Abramovic H, Vidrih R, Zlatic E, Kokalj D, Schreiner M, Zmitek K, et al. Trans fatty acids in margarines and shortenings in the food supply in Slovenia. J Food Compost Anal. 2018;74:53-61. Go to original source...
    29. Timić JB, Đuričić ID, Ristić-Medić DK, Šobajić SS. Fatty acid composition including trans-fatty acids in salty snack foods from the Serbian market. J Serbian Chem Soc. 2018;83(6):685-98. Go to original source...
    30. Jan M, Filip S, Polak T, Hribar J, Vidrih R. Quantitative comparison of the fatty acid composition of dairy and artificial creams and their nutritional value in the human diet. Milchwissenschaft. 2011;66(2):186-9.
    31. Ledoux M, Chardigny JM, Darbois M, Soustre Y, Sébédio JL, Laloux L. Fatty acid composition of French butters, with special emphasis on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers. J Food Compost Anal. 2005;18(5):409-25. Go to original source...
    32. Simionato JI, Garcia JC, dos Santos GT, Oliveira CC, Visentainer JV, de Souza NE. Validation of the determination of fatty acids in milk by gas chromatography. J Braz Chem Soc. 2010;21(3):520-4. Erratumm in: J Braz Chem Soc. 2015;26(4):828. Go to original source...
    33. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA). Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol. EFSA J. 2010;8(3):1461. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1461. Go to original source...
    34. Chajès V, Biessy C, Ferrari P, Romieu I, Freisling H, Huybrechts I, et al. Plasma elaidic acid level as biomarker of industrial trans fatty acids and risk of weight change: report from the EPIC study. PLoS One. 2015 Feb 12;10(2):e0118206. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118206. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    35. Menaa F, Menaa A, Tréton J, Menaa B. Technological approaches to minimize industrial trans fatty acids in foods. J Food Sci. 2013;78(3):R377-86. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    36. Mozaffarian D, de Oliveira Otto MC, Lemaitre RN, Fretts AM, Hotamisligil G, Tsai MY, et al. Trans-palmitoleic acid, other dairy fat biomarkers, and incident diabetes: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;97(4):854-61. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    37. Korošec M, Golob T, Bertoncelj J, Stibilj V, Koroušić-Seljak B. The Slovenian food composition database. Food Chem. 2013;140(3):495-9. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    38. Gurinović M, Milešević J, Kadvan A, Djekić-Ivanković M, Debeljak-Martačić J, Takić M, et al. Establishment and advances in the online Serbian food and recipe data base harmonized with EuroFIR™ standards. Food Chem. 2016;193:30-8. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...

    Return to the content