Trans fatty acids content and fatty acid profiles in the selected food products from Korea between 2005 and 2008

Since a high intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) has been associated with the increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, food regulation worldwide has been amended with respect to nutrition labeling and health claims on TFA. In the present study, the TFA levels of Korean food products were investigated to assess the regulation effect of TFA labeling. Same Korean food products within 7 different categories were purchased in years 2005 and 2008, and the contents of TFA and lipid and fatty acid composition were investigated. Lipid and TFA contents decreased in all food products manufactured in 2008. TFA levels were 0.01 to 6.88 g/100 g food in 2005, but the levels remarkably decreased to nondetectable level or up to 0.5 g TFA/100 g food in 2008. The foods from 2005 contained a various level of TFA ranging 0.6% to 44.6% of total fatty acids; however, the TFA level significantly decreased in most foods up to 3.8% from year 2008. For TFAs, trans C18:1 levels were greater than trans isomers of C18:2, and the levels in 2005 were significantly reduced in 2008 (P < 0.05). TFA levels at the sn-2 position were up to 48.3% of total fatty acids in 2005, but the level considerably decreased up to 5.4% in 2008. The considerably decreased content of TFA in 2008 suggested that food manufacturers recognized the adverse effect of TFA on human health and followed the compulsory trans fat labeling rule by Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA), which started December 2007.