Substitutes for Industrial Trans Fats in Packaged Foods: A Scoping Review

The World Health Organization recommended the global elimination of industrial trans fats by 2023, leading to a decrease in their use in packaged foods. Nevertheless, a gap remains in the scientific literature regarding the ingredients adopted as substitutes by the food industry. This study aimed to map evidence on substitutes for industrial trans fats in packaged foods, discussing their possible designation in the ingredients lists. For this, a scoping review was conducted according to recommendations from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Systematic searches were performed in 6 databases using terms related to industrial trans fats, identification of possible substitutes, and trans fats exemption. The search retrieved 5072 articles. Of these, 233 (152 original articles and 81 review studies) were included in the scoping review. A total of 87 different raw materials were cited as trans fats substitutes in the selected studies, with palm stearin being the most frequent. The processing methods were categorized in 8 groups, with interesterification being the most cited (46% of studies). Food items belonging to 15 food groups were found to contain trans fats substitutes, mainly margarine, shortenings, and spreads. From the collected data, it was estimated that there are at least 690 distinct terms for referring to industrial trans fats substitutes in the ingredients list. Despite the extensive body of research on the subject, the Codex Alimentarius guidelines and some national labeling regulations do not address the reporting of such materials in the ingredients lists. Furthermore, there is limited understanding of the short- and long-term effects of novel technological ingredients on human health. The disclosure of industrial processes to modify oils and fats, as well as the raw materials used, is suggested to be made mandatory in the ingredients list, aiming to safeguard consumers' right to information and enhance monitoring efforts.