Volume 10 — May 23, 2013
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Trends in Trans Fatty Acids Reformulations of US Supermarket and Brand-Name Foods From 2007 Through 2011
| Characteristic | Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Number of products containing any TFA (%) | 270 (100) | 231 (86) | 203 (75) | 197 (72) |
| Mean (SE) TFA content, g/serving | 1.9 (0.1) | 1.3 (0.1) | 1.0 (0.1) | 0.9 (0.1) |
| Median (IQR) TFA content, g/serving | 1.5 (1.0–2.5) | 1.0 (0.25–2.0) | 0.3 (0.3–1.5) | 0.3 (0-1.5) |
Figure 1. Trans-fatty acid (TFA) content from 2007 through 2011 of 270 brand-name US supermarket food products that contained TFA in 2007 and were still marketed in 2011. In 2010, the 25th percentile and median values were identical (0.25 g/serving). All P values < .01 comparing mean TFA content of all products in each year to mean TFA content in the following year of data collection. Products listing 0g TFA but still containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in the ingredients list were considered to contain 0.25 g/serving of TFA and were not included as eliminating industrial TFA. Data were not collected in 2009. Abbreviations: SE, standard error; IQR, interquartile
range.
| Food Product | TFA Content in g/Serving by Year, Mean (SD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Breads (n = 15) | 1.7 (0.7) | 0.6 (0.8) | 0.3 (0.6) | 0.5 (0.8) |
| Breakfasts (n = 8) | 1.5 (0.9) | 1.1 (0.9) | 0.8 (1.0) | 0.8 (1.0) |
| Cakes and pastries (n = 39) | 1.8 (1.3) | 1.1 (1.0) | 0.8 (0.9) | 0.7 (0.7) |
| Cookies, biscuits, and bars (n = 39) | 1.9 (1.0) | 1.2 (1.1) | 1.2 (1.2) | 1.1 (1.1) |
| Crackers (n = 15) | 2.3 (1.3) | 1.4 (1.3) | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.4 (0.5) |
| Doughnuts (n = 7) | 3.1 (1.8) | 0.3 (0) | 0.3 (0) | 0.3 (0) |
| French fries and potatoes (n = 18) | 1.3 (0.6) | 0.1 (0.3) | 0.1 (0.1) | 0.1 (0.1) |
| Ice creams (n = 7) | 1.4 (1.3) | 0.3 (0.3) | 0.3 (0.3) | 0.2 (0.2) |
| Margarines (n = 11) | 2.0 (0.6) | 2.0 (0.5) | 1.7 (0.9) | 1.6 (0.8) |
| Meats and seafood (n = 41) | 1.2 (0.9) | 0.8 (0.6) | 0.6 (0.6) | 0.6 (0.6) |
| Muffins (n = 5) | 0.7 (0.3) | 0.6 (0.5) | 0.3 (0.1) | 0.25 (0) |
| Pasta (n = 10) | 1.1 (0.8) | 1.2 (1.2) | 0.5 (0.6) | 0.4 (0.4) |
| Pies (n = 22) | 3.2 (1.1) | 2.6 (1.4) | 1.7 (1.6) | 1.7 (1.6) |
| Pizzas (n = 12) | 2.0 (1.6) | 2.2 (1.5) | 2.0 (1.6) | 1.4 (1.5) |
| Popcorns (n = 11) | 4.5 (1.3) | 4.2 (1.8) | 3.8 (2.1) | 3.8 (2.2) |
| Rolls (n = 10) | 1.9 (0.6) | 1.6 (1.0) | 1.6 (0.8) | 1.6 (0.8) |
Figure 2. Average trans fatty acid (TFA) content from 2007 through 2011
of brand-name US supermarket food products that contained ≥0.5 g/serving TFA
in 2007, by food categories. Data were not collected in 2009. All products
listing 0 g TFA but still containing partially hydrogenated oils in the
ingredients list were considered to still contain 0.25 g per serving of TFA.
Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.
| Supermarket Product Parent Company (no. of Products) | TFA Content in g/serving by Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | |
| American Pies (n = 4) | 4.5 (0.4) | 4.3 (0.6) | 4.4 (0.3) | 4.4 (0.3) |
| Campbell Soup (n = 12) | 2.3 (1.6) | 2.1 (1.7) | 0.8 (1.1) | 0.8 (0.9) |
| Cole’s Quality Foods (n = 4) | 1.6 (0.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| ConAgra Foods (n = 14) | 1.4 (0.5) | 1.3 (0.6) | 1.1 (0.8) | 1.1 (0.7) |
| Continental Mills (n = 4) | 1.1 (0.6) | 1.1 (0.6) | 0.6 (0.9) | 0.5 (0.7) |
| General Mills (n = 48) | 1.9 (1.0) | 1.7 (1.2) | 1.6 (1.2) | 1.4 (1.1) |
| Giant Brands (n = 12) | 2.4 (1.8) | 2.5 (1.8) | 2.2 (2.0) | 2.4 (2.0) |
| H. J. Heinz (n = 18) | 1.3 (0.6) | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.5 (0.6) |
| Interstate Bakeries (n = 13) | 1.1 (0.6) | 0.4 (0.4) | 0.3 (0.2) | 0.2 (0.1) |
| Kellogg Company (n = 22) | 2.3 (1.4) | 0.9 (1.3) | 0.3 (0.5) | 0.3 (0.5) |
| Kraft Foods (n = 8) | 0.8 (0.3) | 0.9 (0.4) | 0.8 (0.3) | 0.5 (0.4) |
| Nestlé (n = 8) | 1.2 (1.2) | 0.5 (0.6) | 0.4 (0.7) | 0.2 (0.2) |
| PepsiCo (n = 4) | 1.5 (0.7) | 1.3 (0.3) | 1.5 (0.7) | 1.1 (0.3) |
| Pinnacle Food Group (n = 6) | 2.6 (1.6) | 2.6 (1.6) | 2.2 (1.7) | 2.2 (1.7) |
| Safeway (n = 11) | 1.9 (1.2) | 1.0 (1.2) | 0.8 (1.1) | 0.7 (1.2) |
| Sara Lee Corp. (n = 9) | 2.0 (0.9) | 1.6 (1.3) | 1.5 (1.3) | 1.4 (1.3) |
| Schwan Food Company (n = 7) | 2.9 (1.2) | 2.0 (1.5) | 0.3 (0.4) | 0.3 (0.4) |
| Tasty Baking Company (n = 10) | 2.8 (2.2) | 0.5 (0.7) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.2 (0.1) |
| Unilever (n = 7) | 1.5 (1.0) | 1.1 (1.0) | 0.8 (0.9) | 0.7 (0.8) |
| Walmart Stores (n = 5) | 2.0 (0.4) | 1.2 (1.2) | 0.7 (1.3) | 0.7 (1.3) |
Figure 3. Average trans fatty acid (TFA) content from 2007 through 2011 of 236 brand-name US supermarket food products that contained ≥0.5 g/serving TFA in 2007, by their major (>3 products) parent companies. Data were not collected in 2009. All products listing 0 g TFA but still containing partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list were considered to still contain 0.25 g per serving of TFA. Abbreviation: IQR, interquartile
range.
The opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions.
