Is it a fat that should be limited in our diet?
Is it a 0 trans fat?
A fat
molecule consists of a “backbone” of glycerol with three fatty acids
attached. Manufacturers separate the fatty acids from the glycerol, or
‘fractionate” the molecule. The individual fatty acids may be saturated or
unsaturated, which determines characteristics such as melting point,
stability, and consistency. Manufactures fractionate oils and then use the
fatty acids that best meet their product needs and specifications; for
example, to produce a food item that melts at mouth temperature but stays
solid at a lower temperature, such as in your hand.
Palm kernel oil is a tropical oil and contains mostly saturated (83%) and
some unsaturated fatty (13%) acids. Historically, nutrition experts have
advised limiting use of tropical oils. The type of fatty acid extracted from
the palm kernel oil and used to make the fractionated oil would determine if
the resulting product were more saturated or unsaturated. Bottom line,
fractionated palm kernel oil is a fat and fats should be limited in our
diet.
A fractionated fat is different from a man-made trans fat because the
process of fractionation is different from hydrogenation (the process that
produces man-made trans fatty acids). Fractionation simply separates a fat
molecule into its different parts, while hydrogenation changes the fat
molecule chemically by adding hydrogen atoms to create trans fatty acids.
Fractionated oil comprised of saturated fatty acids would have similar
health effects of trans fatty acids. However, a fractionated oil does not
necessarily contain trans fatty acids and could be truthfully promoted as
having “0 trans fat.”