ASSESSMENT OF TRANS FATTY ACID LEVELS IN REFINED PALM-BASED OILS AND COMMERCIAL VEGETABLE OILS IN THE MALAYSIAN MARKET

Trans fats consumption is a major concern worldwide due to the deleterious effects associated with increased risks of coronary heart disease. The trans fatty acid (TFA) content of 104 refinery and commercial vegetable oils in the Malaysian market were analysed by gas chromatography. TFA levels in 29 samples of refined, bleached and deodourised palm oil, palm olein, palm stearin and palm kernel olein from palm oil refineries ranged from 0.12 ± 0.00 to 0.84 ± 0.01 g/100 g. Commercially packaged vegetable oils namely palm olein, sunflower, corn, coconut, rice bran, peanut, olive and sesame oils contained less than 1 g TFA/100 g while higher TFA levels ranging from 1 to 3 g/100 g were detected in canola oil, soyabean oil and canola-based oil blend samples. Amongst the premium oils, cold pressed unrefined almond and walnut oils were found to contain TFA levels exceeding 2 g/100 g while other oils in this category contained TFA less than 1 g/100 g. All retail palm-based vegetable oils and palm-based vegetable fat shortenings except for three samples conformed to the conditions for nutrition claims of low TFA of 1.5 g/100 g and 0.75 g/100 ml in both solids and liquids, respectively, as regulated in the Malaysian Food Act 1983.