Fatty Acid Composition of Commercial Spanish Fast Food and Snack Food

Fatty acid composition, total fat contents and percentages of saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA) and trans isomers of fatty acids (t FA) were analysed in commercial Spanish fast food and snack food by capillary gas chromatography (CGC) using a capillary column. The results obtained show a great variability in the percentages of fatty acids (g/100 g total fatty acids) but generally there is a high proportion of saturated fatty acids (from 12.3 in popcorn to 65.8% in ice creams) and monounsaturated fatty acids (from 23.7 in snacks of cheese to 42.8% in hamburgers with a low proportion of trans isomers (from 0.1 in snacks of cheese to 46.0% in popcorn (microwave)) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (from 1.6 in popcorn (microwave) to 51.4% in popcorn). sults show that commercial Spanish fast food and snack food have a high proportion of saturated fatty acids especially hamburgers, pizzas, ice creams, cakes with cover, biscuits, donuts, and snacks of cheese. The source of these saturated fatty acids in the fat fraction was basically animal fats, coconut oil, palm kernel oil and palm oil.