Food Composition Database
The purpose of the food composition database was to determine foods which still had a significant amount of trans-fats post January 2006. This information will aid consumers across the United States in buying food products with the lowest amount of trans-fat possible.
The following is a record of fat containing food products that are commonly available at US grocery stores. Each food is categorized first by brand, then product name, and lastly by flavor. The data available are serving size, Kcal, total fat, saturated fat, trans-fat, and a standardized trans-fat value. Standardized trans-fat values were calculated according to grams per 100 grams of food product. The amount of trans-fat listed on the label (in grams) was divided by the serving size (in grams) and then multiplied by 100. This calculation allowed for comparison of all foods regardless of varying serving sizes. The serving size is represented by grams in most products; however, those that use milliliters are indicated. These products were assumed to have a density of 1g/ml in order to calculate the standardized trans-fat value.
The trans-fat database provides invaluable information regarding food products that, according to the label, still contain trans-fats. Of the 3,000 plus food products recorded, approximately 17% contain trans-fatty acids. However, the ingredients section of the food label was not checked for the presence of partially hydrogenated oil. Although the information collected will be useful in future research, it is limited by not knowing exactly which food products use partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient. This suggests that trans-fat amounts should be listed per 100g of food product to ensure accurate information on trans-fat content that is not biased by serving size.
This project was funded by a grant from the USDA that was awarded to Dr. Brent Shriver. The research was conducted by Jenny Strovas as a part of her Master's Thesis titled "Development of a Knowledge Survey and Food Composition Database Regarding Trans-Fatty Acids."