Version 1
: Received: 30 May 2023 / Approved: 1 June 2023 / Online: 1 June 2023 (04:14:19 CEST)
How to cite:
Mashili, F.; Rusobya, H.J.; Masaulwa, J.S.; Shonyella, C.J.; Ramaiya, K.; Willett, W.C. Assessment of Trans Fatty Acid Levels in Popular Edible Oils and Fried Foods: Implications for Public Health in Tanzania. Preprints2023, 2023060023. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.0023.v1
Mashili, F.; Rusobya, H.J.; Masaulwa, J.S.; Shonyella, C.J.; Ramaiya, K.; Willett, W.C. Assessment of Trans Fatty Acid Levels in Popular Edible Oils and Fried Foods: Implications for Public Health in Tanzania. Preprints 2023, 2023060023. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.0023.v1
Mashili, F.; Rusobya, H.J.; Masaulwa, J.S.; Shonyella, C.J.; Ramaiya, K.; Willett, W.C. Assessment of Trans Fatty Acid Levels in Popular Edible Oils and Fried Foods: Implications for Public Health in Tanzania. Preprints2023, 2023060023. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.0023.v1
APA Style
Mashili, F., Rusobya, H.J., Masaulwa, J.S., Shonyella, C.J., Ramaiya, K., & Willett, W.C. (2023). Assessment of Trans Fatty Acid Levels in Popular Edible Oils and Fried Foods: Implications for Public Health in Tanzania. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.0023.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Mashili, F., Kaushik Ramaiya and Walter C Willett. 2023 "Assessment of Trans Fatty Acid Levels in Popular Edible Oils and Fried Foods: Implications for Public Health in Tanzania" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202306.0023.v1
Abstract
Trans fatty acids (TFA) are a concern for public health due to their negative impact on cardiovascular health. This study aimed to assess the levels of TFA and other fatty acids in popular edible oils and fried foods commonly consumed in Tanzania. A total of 57 samples from 38 brands of edible oils and 20 samples of fried street foods and fast foods were collected in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Capillary gas chromatography was used to determine TFA levels, while nutritional labeling and other fatty acid classes were also evaluated. Among the analyzed edible oils, 21% exceeded the recommended TFA levels, primarily found in popular brands of margarine, industrially refined sunflower oils, animal butter, and peanut butter. Only two food items surpassed the 2% TFA limit, but a majority of the foods had high levels of saturated fatty acids and a fatty acid profile similar to palm oil. Additionally, only 22% of the edible oils provided TFA content information. These findings indicate the persistence of TFA levels beyond recommended limits and inadequate TFA nutritional labeling in Tanzanian food products. Urgent interventions are necessary to reduce TFA levels and improve nutritional labeling practices to safeguard public health.
Keywords
Trans Fatty Acids; edible oils; cardiovascular health; fried foods; nutritional labeling; public health; fatty acid profile; Recommended limits.
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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