Trans-fatty acids in cooking oils in Bogota, Colombia: changes in the food supply from 2008 to 2013

• Published in: Public health nutrition Vol. 18; no. 18; pp. 3260 - 3264
• Main Authors: Moynihan, Meghan, Villamor, Eduardo, Marin, Constanza, Mora-Plazas, Mercedes, Campos, Hannia, Baylin, Ana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.12.2015
• Subjects: canola oil; Cohort Studies; Colombia; Cooking; cooking fats and oils; Costs and Cost Analysis; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet Surveys; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - administration & dosage; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - adverse effects; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - analysis; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated - economics; Family; fatty acid composition; fish consumption; food availability; Food Labeling; Food-Processing Industry - economics; Food-Processing Industry - trends; Guideline Adherence; Humans; Income; industry; monitoring; Monitoring and surveillance; Nutrition Policy; omega-3 fatty acids; Plant Oils - administration & dosage; Plant Oils - adverse effects; Plant Oils - chemistry; Plant Oils - economics; school children; Short Communication; soybean oil; sunflower oil; surveys; trans fatty acids; Trans Fatty Acids - administration & dosage; Trans Fatty Acids - adverse effects; Trans Fatty Acids - analysis; Trans Fatty Acids - economics; Urban Population; vegetable oil; Colombia; Trans-fatty acids; Cooking oils; Trends
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S136898001500049X

Long-chain n-3 fatty acid intake in Colombia is low because fish consumption is limited. Vegetable oils with high n-3 fatty acid content are recommended, but their concentrations of trans fats were high in previous studies. Thus, regular monitoring of the fatty acid composition of vegetable oils is required. Our objective was to quantify the fatty acid composition in commercially available oils in Bogota, Colombia and determine if composition changed from 2008 to 2013. Cross-sectional study. We obtained samples of all commercially available oils reported in a survey of low- and middle-income families with a child participating in the Bogota School Children Cohort. Bogota, Colombia. Not applicable. Sunflower oil had the highest trans-fatty acid content (2.18%). Canola oil had the lowest proportion of trans-fatty acids (0.40%) and the highest n-3 fatty acid content (9.37%). In terms of percentage reduction from 2008 to 2013 in 18:1 and 18:2 trans-fatty acids, canola oil had 89% and 65% reduction, mixed oils had 44% and 48% reduction, and sunflower oil had 25% and 51 % reduction, respectively. Soyabean oil became widely available in 2013. The content of trans-fatty acids decreased in all oils from 2008 to 2013, suggesting a voluntary reduction by industry. We believe that regular monitoring of the fatty acid composition of oils is warranted.