3.3.3. Snacks and Processed Foods

As for the group of biscuits, doughnuts, and cakes group, negligible amounts of IP-TFAs were found in these products (Average: 0.5% ± 0.2) (Table 4). On the other hand, the unlabeled English cake (chocolate flavor) had an apparently high amount of total IP-TFAs (2.6% in the total fat) in which EA was dominantly available (Table 3). Despite being unable to discuss the fat type used in unlabeled samples, based on this data, partially hydrogenated fats were certainly present in high amounts.

The data on chocolate products presented an amount of 1.3% ± 0.3 as total IP-TFAs (Figure 1), except for the case of wafer-coated chocolate originally manufactured in Lebanon which contains a level of 6.5% (Table 3).

According to Tables 3 and 4, it appears that all samples of potato chips, nuts, seeds, coffee, instant coffee, and packed tuna contained low amounts of total IP-TFAs that are below 2% of total fat. When comparing the mean values of the IP-TFA (EA and LEA) in the market foods, EA and LEA didn't show any significant difference (*p*-value = 0.16).
