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A New Method for Calculating Saturated Fat Content and Determining Appropriate Saturated Fat Levels in Foods

2022; RELX Group (Netherlands); Linguagem: Inglês

10.2139/ssrn.4133571

1556-5068

Abed Forouzesh, Fatemeh Forouzesh, Sadegh Samadi Foroushani, Abolfazl Forouzesh,

Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling

Calculating the saturated fat content per 100 g or 100 mL or the reference amount customarily consumed (RACC) shows the saturated fat content of some foods inappropriately. So, making some food choices based on them to limit saturated fat intake may increase the risks of some chronic diseases. Calculating the saturated fat content and determining appropriate saturated fat levels (to limit saturated fat intake) based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), and the proposed method were performed in 8,252 food items. Making some food choices based on the FDA per serving (the serving is derived from the RACC or 100 g) or CAC per 100 g or 100 mL to limit saturated fat intake exceeded saturated fat needs, which could lead to high LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol concentration in the blood. Some foods that did not exceed saturated fat needs were not appropriate food choices based on the CAC per 100 g or 100 mL to limit saturated fat intake. Some foods were free of, but not low in, saturated fat, based on the FDA per serving or CAC per 100 g or 100 mL. Making food choices based on the proposed method to limit saturated fat intake did not exceed saturated fat needs and the appropriate percentage of energy from saturated fat. Also, foods that did not exceed saturated fat needs were appropriate food choices based on the proposed method to limit saturated fat intake. About 95% of foods contained saturated fat. On the basis of the proposed method, the averages (%) of saturated fat free and low saturated fat foods in food groups were 18.84% and 44.67%, respectively. Cereal grains and pasta with 98.28%, fruits and fruit juices with 97.47%, vegetables and vegetable products with 94.33%, breakfast cereals with 93.71%, beverages with 88.67%, spices and herbs with 81.25%, legumes and legume products with 77.41%, and finfish and shellfish products with 63.67% had the highest averages (%) of low saturated fat foods. In contrast, beef products with 1.15%, fast foods with 4.64%, pork products with 5.01%, restaurant foods with 5.43%, lamb, veal, and game products with 9.35%, sausages and luncheon meats with 10.18%, fats and oils with 15.45%, and poultry products with 19.07% had the lowest averages (%) of low saturated fat foods. The highest amounts of saturated fat were found in beef suet, coconut milk, animal fat, cured salt pork, fully hydrogenated oil, pork jowl, nutmeg butter, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, ucuhuba butter, cheese quesadilla, babassu oil, pork belly, butter oil, chocolate mousse, coconut meat, cocoa butter, beef ribs (lean and fat), cupuassu oil, chocolate cream pie, croissant with egg and cheese, butter, liqueur coffee with cream, lamb rib (lean and fat), sausage biscuit with butter, palm oil, ice cream (rich), cheese enchilada, domesticated duck (meat and skin), beef brisket navel end (lean and fat), shea nut oil, lamb flap, pork carcass (lean and fat), meat sandwich with cheese or creamy mayonnaise, mechanically separated lamb meat, mechanically separated beef meat, beef sweetbread, chicken skin, lamb loin (lean and fat), pork tail, cheesecake, biscuit with egg and cheese, turkey skin, milk sheep, English muffin with cheese and sausage, Indian buffalo milk, coconut cream pie, lamb shoulder (lean and fat), and domesticated goose (meat and skin). In general, fats and oils (in the form of pure fats and oils or foods containing fat or oil), meats (such as beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, poultry, finfish, shellfish, and meat from other species), and egg yolks contained saturated fat. However, the saturated fat content in them was different.