Let’s be honest, food consumers can be fickle and major brands are understandably concerned about risking the equity built in the name. Consumer loyalty can be shattered if there is only a slight change in branded product’s sensory attributes.

Sensory panels may tell us that they actually prefer the taste of a new and healthier product … however if a new healthier product is only slightly different than the original, a better product may not be worth the risk to a multi-billion dollar brand.

It is therefore not surprising that food companies have eliminated or reduced trans fats using whatever economically viable solution presents the least amount of risk to the brand.

The prevailing solution for eliminating or reducing trans is to substitute a recipe with palm oil or a palm oil fraction. Palm oil is readily available and economically viable alternative. Unfortunately spiking world demand for palm oil as edible fat and a bio-fuel feedstock
is fueling concern from environmentalist around the globe.

Evidence presented by many suggests that the myristic and palmitic fatty acids found in palm oil are associated with a greaterrisk of cardiovascular disease. Palm advocates on the other hand dispute the claims and suggest that other components in palm oil support their assertion that palm oil is a healthy oil.

The food industry is certainly confronted with a difficult choice when choosing between reformulation options.

Ultimately the consumer will for vote saturates or fewer saturates with their wallets, or the government will step in and force changes as we have seen with trans fat labeling regulations.

Until that time palm oil will continue to prevail as the optimum solution for industry challenged to eliminate or reduce trans fatty acids and maintain consumer acceptance.

Our research laboratory specializes in the physical and chemical properties of edible fats and oils.

By building scientific knowledge of edible fats and oils we can develop new food materials and processes that will lead to food products with superior nutritional and physiochemical properties.

Our research facilities also include one the leading Sensory Evaluation facilities in the United States.

In Canada the Canadian Food Inspection Agency enforces nutritional claims make for  foods.

In Canada it is significantly more difficult to label a product as having “zero trans fatty acids” than it is in the United States.  Canadian food products must meet each of the following criteria to qualify for a claim of “zero trans fat”:

1. contain less than 0.2 grams of trans fatty acids per serving,  AND
2. contain less than less that 2 grams of saturated fatty acids and  trans fatty acids combined per serving

As of January 2006 nutrition labels in the United States must include a line declaring trans fatty acid content.  A “zero trans fat” claim can be made if:

• the food product or dietary supplement (e.g. energy or nutrition bar) contains less that 0.5 grams of trans fatty acids per serving.

A “zero trans fatty acids” claim in the US is not linked to the amount of saturated fatty acids in the serving.  US regulations also permit over TWICE! the level of trans fatty acids per serving than is permitted in Canada to make the same “zero trans fatty acids” claim.

If you are interested in more info. regarding labelling of fats please take a minute to comment on this brief post.  SB