Conjugated Linoleic Acid in Canadian Dairy and Beef Products

Abstract

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a dietary fatty acid produced by ruminant animals and exhibits promising beneficial health effects. CLA has been identified as having anticancer, antiatherogenic, and body fat reducing effects. There are no published data on the CLA content of Canadian beef and dairy products. The purpose of this study was to assess the level and type of CLA isomers found in commercial beef and dairy products. Under the present experimental conditions only the Δ9c,11t-18:2 isomer was detected. Other minor isomers, which may be present, were not determined by the method used in this study. Levels of CLA ranged between 1.2 and 6.2 mg/g of fat or 0.001−4.3 mg/g or mg/mL of sample. On the basis of a usual serving size, levels of CLA ranged between 0.03 and 81.0 mg per serving. It is concluded that the Δ9c,11t-18:2 isomer is present in dairy and beef products and levels when expressed per gram of fat are not significantly different among products. Keywords: Conjugated linoleic acid; dairy and beef