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Review
. 2016 Jul 15;7(4):719-29.
doi: 10.3945/an.115.009662. Print 2016 Jul.

The Increasing Use of Interesterified Lipids in the Food Supply and Their Effects on Health Parameters

Ronald P Mensink  1 , Thomas A Sanders  2 , David J Baer  3 , K C Hayes  4 , Philip N Howles  5 , Alejandro Marangoni  6
Affiliations
Review

The Increasing Use of Interesterified Lipids in the Food Supply and Their Effects on Health Parameters

Ronald P Mensink et al. Adv Nutr. .

Abstract

A variety of modified fats that provide different functionalities are used in processed foods to optimize product characteristics and nutrient composition. Partial hydrogenation results in the formation of trans FAs (TFAs) and was one of the most widely used modification processes of fats and oils. However, the negative effects of commercially produced TFAs on serum lipoproteins and risk for cardiovascular disease resulted in the Institute of Medicine and the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans both recommending that TFA intake be as low as possible. After its tentative 2013 determination that use of partially hydrogenated oils is not generally regarded as safe, the FDA released its final determination of the same in 2015. Many food technologists have turned to interesterified fat as a replacement. Interesterification rearranges FAs within and between a triglyceride molecule by use of either a chemical catalyst or an enzyme. Although there is clear utility of interesterified fats for retaining functional properties of food, the nutrition and health implications of long-term interesterified fat consumption are less well understood. The Technical Committee on Dietary Lipids of the North American Branch of the International Life Sciences Institute sponsored a workshop to discuss the health effects of interesterified fats, identify research needs, and outline considerations for the design of future studies. The consensus was that although interesterified fat production is a feasible and economically viable solution for replacing dietary TFAs, outstanding questions must be answered regarding the effects of interesterification on modifying certain aspects of lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammatory responses, hemostatic parameters, and satiety.

Keywords: dietary intake; health effects; interesterified fats; metabolism; trans fatty acids.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author disclosures: TA Sanders reports a financial interest in respect of payment for participating in scientific advisory panels for Heinz PLC, the Global Dairy Platform, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, and Archer Daniels Midland Company. DJ Baer is the federal liaison to the ILSI North America Technical Committee on Dietary Lipids but receives no financial compensation for this role. RP Mensink, KC Hayes, PN Howles, and A Marangoni, no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Potential food categories for interesterified fat applications and the contribution of these categories to total TFA intake. The light bars represent food categories that would likely not be replaced with a functional fat, the darker shaded bars represent food categories that would likely be replaced with a heat-stable oil, and the darkest shaded bars represent food categories that would likely be replaced with an interesterified fat. TFA, trans FA. Data are from reference .
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Postprandial changes in plasma TG concentrations after consumption of 6 different test meals. In total, 11 healthy men and 5 healthy women consumed, in random order, a low-fat meal and 5 different high-fat meals (90 g) rich in MCFAs, palmitate (16:0), stearate (18:0), elaidate (18:1 trans), or oleate (18:1 cis). Values are given as means ± SEMs. MCFA, medium-chain FA. Data are from reference .
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Individual fasting glucose values are depicted for 30 healthy men and women at study entry and after 4 wk on diets rich in test fats of POL, PHSO, and IE. Participants consumed complete, whole-food diets for 4-wk periods in a crossover study design. Total fat comprised ∼31% daily energy (>70% from the test fats). Compared with entry values of glucose, increases of 3%, 9%, and 22% were seen after consuming the diets rich in POL, PHSO, and IE, respectively. IE, interesterified fat based on fully hydrogenated soybean oil; PHSO, partially hydrogenated soybean oil; POL, palm olein. Reproduced from reference with permission.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Sex differences in postprandial glucose among 25 women and 25 men after high-fat meals rich in interesterified palm olein, native palm olein, lard, and high-oleic sunflower oils. Women (A) and men (B) consumed, in random order, 4 different high-fat meals (50 g) rich in interesterified palm olein, palm olein, lard, or high-oleic acid sunflower oil. The postprandial response to glucose in women was relatively flat, which suggests faster removal of glucose from plasma. Values are geometric means with 95% CIs. For changes from fasting for the meal × times interaction, P = 0.34 for both genders combined, P = 0.38 for women, and P = 0.39 for men. IE, interesterified. Data are from reference .
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References

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