Monitoring industrial hydrogenation of soybean oil using self-organizing maps

Monitoring the hydrogenation reaction is crucial to guarantee a product with desired properties. The combination of gas chromatography (GC) with self-organizing maps (SOM) may be an alternative to extract relevant information during the hydrogenation. We analyzed two partially hydrogenated fats produced in an industrial reactor. The quantification of the fatty acids methyl esters and the iodine value (IV) calculation was performed by GC. The SOM was able to cluster the samples according to the IV and reaction time. The weight maps depicted the variation of monounsaturated fatty acids associated with the increase of 18:1 and the variation of poly-unsaturated are mainly correlated with 18:2. An increase was observed in saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids associated respectively with 18:0 and 18:1(trans). Besides, it was confirmed that trans-isomers are more stable than the cis-isomers. Therefore, the SOM with GC was an efficient tool for monitoring the hydrogenation process.

trans Fatty Acids in Polish Pastry

ABSTRACT Because potentially harmful trans fatty acids (TFAs) should be eliminated from the diet, each country should have updated estimates of TFA content in food. The purpose of the study was to provide data on TFA content in pastry products commercialized in the Polish market. Products made using hydrogenated fats (as declared by manufacturers) were tested. Samples were acquired between April 2017 and July 2017. Extraction of fat from all pastries was carried out by the method of Folch et al. The fatty acid (FA) composition, especially TFA content in extracted fats, was determined by gas chromatography. Fat in the products was characterized by a high level of saturated fatty acid (SFA; ca. 42 g/100 g of FA), with the exception of one sample. A great diversity of total TFA content in fat of the products was found (0.1 to 13.5 g/100 g of FA). Of the products tested, 37.5% had TFAs in excess of 2%. Furthermore, partially hydrogenated fats were the source of TFAs in the analyzed products, as demonstrated by high content of elaidic acid. In addition, there was a trend of a decrease in the daily intake of TFAs of industrial origin with pastry products (0.14 g) compared with earlier studies. These results highlight the ongoing need for improvement in terms of trans isomer content in pastry products in Poland. This study confirms the importance of developing effective policies for reducing the TFA content of food. HIGHLIGHTS