[The nutritional evaluation of cooking fats and oils]

Fatty acids content of locally obtained margarines, shortenings and cooking oils from businesses in Panama were determined by gas chromatographic method. The results found show that all of these oils have a high nutritional value, because of their high unsaturated fatty acid content. The soya oil group is characterized by its high content of linolenic acid (w3), for this reason they are preferably recommended as edible oils. Margarines were classified as "saturated" (high in palmitic acid) and "unsaturated" (high in linoleic acid). Saturated margarines are not very recommendable as edible fats since the high palmitic acid content is a hypercholesterolemic agent. The majority of the shortenings are also rich in palmitic acid.