Pure and Applied Chemistry

The intertwining of lipid nutrition with many other disciplines makes contributions from different directions imperative. Chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, food science and technology, industrial processing, and consumer acceptance provide concepts and terms used in lipid nutrition. This document is the product of a working group comprising members of the Committee on the Biological Role of Fatty Acids in Human Nutrition of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences and of the Commission on Oils, Fats, and Derivatives of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Shorthand formulas and systematic and trivial names of some biologically important fatty acids are given in Table 1 (saturated fatty acids), Table 2 (monoenoic fatty acids), and Table 3 (polyenoic fatty acids).

Fatty acid compositions of foods have been based on the data of the USDA reference that means official grade standards for agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Because foods may show large variations in their composition the figures in the annexed tables serve as guidelines only, except those of the Codex alimentarius (Tables 4 and 5), where accepted ranges of the figures are reported. Further, as these standards are in constant revision the reader may contact directly the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service for the last editions of these standards.

It is evident that the explanation of the referred terms is a compromise between technological and scientific correctness and the readers' lack of interest in many of the details. But, sometimes a more exhaustive explanation is necessary. Further information then may be found in cross references, although they have been reduced to those of utmost necessity. Terms in the text where cross references are available are printed in boldfaced type.

As research and science are progressing and knowledge is increasing, consequently, views on certain nutritional aspects are constantly changing, e.g., the role of essential fatty acids in human nutrition. Therefore, such a work will never be complete, and readers are invited to send their comments and observations to the authors for incorporation into a next edition.