Nutritional evaluation of inter‐esterified fats

Studies with inter‐esterified fats prepared to maintain a high level of linoleic acid content have been undertaken in several series of experiments with rats. These fats are as digestible as the liquid nonhydrogenated oils and the biological value of the linoleic acid is not impaired by the inter‐esterification. Investigations involving growth, reproduction and lactation, longevity, tissue cholesterol levels and histological tissue examination have revealed that these inter‐esterified fats are utilized by the animal similarly to cottonseed oil. No tissue pathology or interferences with any of the nutritional indices are observed. When the inter‐esterified fats are included in atherogenic diets, the atheroselerotic lesions which develop in the coronary arteries and aorta of the animals are similar to, but less marked than, those found when animals are fed cholesterol‐containing diets with butter oil or conventional margarine oil of the all‐hydrogenated type. It is concluded that these inter‐esterified fats are at least nutritionally equal to other similar edible fats of equivalent essential fatty acid content.