Project results were used for scientific support of the preparation of new national regulation: Decree laying down maximum permitted levels of trans fatty acids in foodstuffs. This regulation needed to be notified at the European Commission, because the introduced rules are stricter than current rules accepted in the EU. Project results were used in the notification procedure.
F.24 Improvements to existing system-wide, normative and programme solutions, and methods
Researchers of the project group have been active in professional polemics and discussions, related to their work (i.e. collaboration in critical discussions about nutrition and food policy decisions), some of those are also published in most prestigious scientific journals.
F.24 Improvements to existing system-wide, normative and programme solutions, and methods
COBISS.SI-ID: 39727109The aim of this study was to determine the total levels of trans fatty acids (TFA) and levels of specific TFA isomers in bakery products in the food supply chain in Slovenia. The TFA amount was expressed as weight percent of total fatty acids (FA). Total amount of analysed samples was 117 (16 samples of bread, 76 samples of cookies/biscuits/wafers, 21 samples of dough snacks and 4 samples of dough). Considerably higher amounts of TFA were found in cookies/biscuits/wafers (up to 31.03 % TFA), followed by the subgroup of dough snacks with the TFA content ranging from 0.34 to 10.10 %. In bread subgroup TFA ranged from 0.10 to 1.71 % and in dough subgroup TFA levels were ranging from 0.29 to 0.36 %. Samples with high total TFA the trans-C18:1 isomers are present in much higher quantities than trans-C18:2 isomers. In cookies/biscuits/wafers high amounts of total trans-C18:1 isomers amounted to 4.91% and the amount of total trans-C18:2 was 0.39%. In approximately 34% of all analysed samples the TFA content exceeded 2% of total FA. In subgroup cookies/biscuits/wafers with more than 2% of TFA the isomers t9-C18:1 and t10- C18:1 predominate. Dough snacks with more than 2% of TFA the t11-C18:1 isomer predominate. Relatively low atherogenity index (AI) and index of thrombogenicity (TI) values were observed in bread and dough snacks subgroups while cookies/biscuits/wafers and dough subgroup had higher values of both indices. Results have shown high variability between bakery products in the food supply. Since no data is available on the exposure of the Slovenian population to TFA, these results suggest prompt introduction of measures for reducing the intake of TFA.
D.10 Educational activities
COBISS.SI-ID: 4956024Project team was very active in dissemination of the results to general public and promoting of science and its research area, and collaborated well with media.
B.06 Other
COBISS.SI-ID: 5029496Breast milk is the most natural and perfect nutrition for infants. It provides all the energy and nutrients that are required for optimal growth and development. The composition of breast milk is very complex and changes during lactation. For the optimal composition and therefore health of the infant, adequate nutrition of mothers before and especially during pregnancy and lactation is very important. Because trans fatty acids (TFA) in breast milk are related to many undesirable health outcomes, we investigated the amount of TFA in breast milk of Slovenian mothers. We also wanted to see how dietary intake of mothers during pregnancy and lactation impacts the content of TFA in breast milk. We got the insight into their nutrition by evaluating their 4-day weighted dietary records (4PD) that they recorded during pregnancy and during lactation. The fatty acid composition of breast milk was analyzed by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). 105 samples of breast milk were analyzed. The amount of TFA we detected in breast milk was 1,15 ± 0,47 wt. % of all identified fatty acids. When investigating the correlation between food intake and TFA in breast milk, we found no correlation between the amount of food containing TFA that mothers consumed during pregnancy and during lactation and the content of TFA in their breast milk. Although a positive correlation between the intake of saturated fatty acids from milk and milk products and the content of vaccenic acid in breast milk was found. The correlation was stronger in mothers during lactation. Even though we haven't found any correlation between the amount of food containing TFA that mothers consumed during pregnancy and lactation and the content of TFA in their breast milk we advise mothers to follow dietary recommendations and avoid consumption of TFA.
D.10 Educational activities
COBISS.SI-ID: 5028216