FATS AND OILS

Fat is present naturally in many foods. This fat is often referred to as invisible fat. Example of foods
containing appreciable quantities of fat includes meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
Visible fat are made from these products: lard, cooking oils, salad oils, margarine and butter.
Fat plays a number of roles in both foods and nutrition. In common usage, fats that have a relatively high
melting point and are solid at room temperature are called fats, whereas those that have lower melting
points and are liquid at room temperature are called oils.

NUTRITION IMPORTANCE
o They are concentrated source of energy. They furnish more energy when compared to
carbohydrates and proteins. 1g of fat yields 9kcal whereas 1g of CHO/Prot yields 4Kcal
o It has a high satiety level. Leaves the stomach slowly therefore delaying the onset of hunger
o They are excellent sources of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. (acts as a carrier of fat soluble
vitamins)
o They provide essential fatty acids, which are components of membranes of living cells
o They are also used in the body to make prostaglandins involved in large variety of vital
physiological functions.
o They play a part in the biosynthesis of several long chain fatty acids

COMPOSITION
Percentage of Specific Types of Fat in Common Oils and Fats
OILS Saturated Monounsaturated Polyunsaturated Trans
Canola 7 58 29 0
Safflower 9 12 74 0
Sunflower 10 20 66 0
Corn 13 24 60 0
Olive 13 72 8 0
Soybean 16 44 37 0
Peanut 17 49 32 0
-=-Palm 50 37 10 0
Coconut 87 6 2 0
COOKING FATS        
Shortening 22 29 29 18
Lard 39 44 11 1
Butter 60 26 5 5
MARGARINE/SPREADS        
70% Soybean Oil, Stick 18 2 29 23
67% Corn & Soybean Oil
16 27 44 11
Spread, Tub
48% Soybean Oil Spread,
17 24 49 8
Tub
60% Sunflower, Soybean,
18 22 54 5
and Canola Oil Spread, Tub

When fats contain a relatively high proportion of saturated fatty acids, they have relatively high melting
points and are usually solid at room temperature. When fats contain a relatively high proportion of
unsaturated fatty acids, they have relatively low melting point and are oils at room temperature.
As the number of carbon atoms in the fatty acids increases, thus making longer chain fatty acids, the
melting point also increases. Butyric acid with four carbon atoms melts at a lower temperature than
stearic acid which has eighteen carbon atoms. Both these fatty acids are saturated.

1. SEAFOODS
Fish is found abundantly in all natural waters. It is a valuable source of food to humans.

Types of fish
 It is estimated that there about 25,000 species of fish living today, varying in size from very small
fish to very large sharks. About 250 different species of fishes are used for edible purposes.
 Edible fishes are classified into two major categories based on their anatomical differences.
i. Fishes having vertebrae with fin appendages, which help balance and steer the body in its
movements through water, are termed as fins fish.
ii. Fishes without a skeleton but covered with some type of hard shell are known as shellfish.
 Shellfish are of two types:
i. Molluscs; have a soft unsegmented body. The molluscs are either partially or wholly
enclosed in a hard shell that is largely of mineral composition. These include oysters,
clams, scallops and mussels.
ii. Crustaceans have segmented bodies. The crustaceans are covered with crust like
shells and they include lobsters, crabs, shrimp and crayfish. Edible shellfishes are
mainly saltwater fishes.

 Fishes are also classified based on their fat content as;

i. Lean (less than 2 % fat)fish e.g. Bombay duck, halibut, cod, perch and sole are examples
of lean fish.
ii. medium (2-5% fat) and
iii. Fat (more than 5%) fishes. Fat fish include salmon, sardine, mackerel, tuna etc. in fish
with more than 5% fat in the edible flesh, the flesh is usually more highly pigmented than
that of the low-fat varieties which are generally white fleshed.

Composition and Nutritive value

 The principal component of most fish oils are glycerides of fatty acids, which make up 95% of the
oil.
 Fish oils differ remarkably from vegetable oils in containing a great variety of fatty acids, especially
highly unsaturated fatty acids having from four to six unsaturated linkages.
 Fish fat also contains cholesterol, lecithin, waxes, and fatty alcohols. The fat from fish eggs is
especially high in lecithin. (up to 20%)
  Fish is an excellent source of protein. The protein content of finfish is, on an average, about 20%.
The muscles of some lean fish contain exceptionally high levels of protein, when compared to the
best meat. As a whole, the protein content of shellfish is lower than that of finfish.
 Fish contains some glycogen, shellfish containing a higher proportion; some shellfish have 3 to 5%
glycogen. The sweet taste of various shellfish is due to glucose formed from the glycogen by
enzymic action.
 Fish is a good source of minerals. It contains more minerals than other types of meats. Fish meat is a
good source of copper, sulphur, and phosphorous. Saltwater fishes contain more iron than freshwater
fishes. Marine fish is a dependable source of iodine. The iodine content of marine fish is nearly 30
times that of freshwater fish.
 Fish oils are the richest known sources of vitamins A and D. However, there are extreme differences
in the vitamin reserves of different species.
 Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promotes heart health. It is recommended that
fish should be eaten at least twice a week.

Fish Products
A number of products are prepared from fish. These include fish meal used as animal feed, fish flour used
for protein enrichment of human food, fish oils used for feeding and industrial purposes, fish glue,
isinglass- a high grade fish collagen used for the clarification of wines, beer, vinegar etc.
a) Fish flour
It is a good for use as human food and is also known as fish protein concentrate (FPC). Fish flour contains
85 – 90% of high quality protein. It is estimated that food shortage and high quality protein needs in
several areas of the world can be alleviated by fish flour, at very low cost
b) Fish oils
Fish oils are of two kinds, liver oils and fish body oil. Liver oil is the principal natural source of vitamin
A and, to a lesser extent; vitamin D. Fishes, such as cod, halibut, tuna and shark are good sources of fish
liver oils. The oil and vitamin A content vary in different fishes. Body oil is obtained from fishes, such as
sardine, herring and salmon.