Kinetics of the formation of
trans linoleic acid and
trans linolenic acid were compared. Pilot plant-scale tests on canola oils were carried out to validate the laboratory-scale kinetic
model of geometrical isomerization of polyunsaturated fatty acids described in our earlier publication. The reliability of
the model was confirmed by statistical calculations. Formation of the individual
trans linoleic and linolenic acids was studied, as well as the effect of the degree of isomerization on the distribution of the
trans fatty acid isomers. Oil samples were deodorized at temperatures from 204 to 230°C from 2 to 86 h. Results showed an increase
in the relative percentage of isomerized linolenic and linoleic acid with an increase in either the deodorization time or
the temperature. The percentage of
trans linoleic acid (compared to the total) after deodorization ranged from <1 to nearly 6%, whereas the percentage of
trans linolenic acid ranged from <1 to >65%. Applying this model, the researchers determined the conditions required to produce
a specially isomerized oil for a nutritional study. The practical applications of these trials are as follows: (i) the
trans fatty acid level of refined oils can be predicted for given deodorization conditions, (ii) the conditions to meet increasingly
strict consumer demands concerning the
trans isomer content can be calculated, and (iii) the deodorizer design can be characterized by the deviation from the theoretical
trans fatty acid content of the deodorized oil.
Key Words Deodorization - kinetics - linoleic acid - linolenic acid - modeling -
trans isomer fatty acids