A phytosterol database: Fatty foods consumed in Sweden and the Netherlands

The aim of this study was to quantify seven specific dietary phytosterols (PS) (campesterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, brassicasterol, 5-avenasterol, β-sitostanol and campestanol) in fatty foods. Gas–liquid chromatography procedure was applied to 87 items of Swedish and Dutch origin. In general, β-sitosterol was the dominating phytosterol (60% represented the median total concentration), followed by campesterol (24%), stigmasterol (7%) and 5-avenasterol (5%), brassicasterol (3%), β-sitostanol (1%) and campestanol (<0.1%). The median total content of PS for the 42 fat spreads and margarines was 204 mg/100 g with minimum 73 mg/100 g in a low-fat margarine and maximum 775 mg/100 g in a polyunsaturated fat spread. Among 19 plant oils, median total PS content was 348 mg/100 g, with minimum 39 mg/100 g in palm oil and maximum 978/100 g in corn oil. Median value for 12 nuts and seeds was 144 mg/100 g, with minimum 68 mg/100 g in coconut rasps and maximum 404 mg/100 g in sesame seeds. Median value for total PS was 100 mg/100 g among 14 miscellaneous fatty foods with minimum 11 mg/100 g in Dutch non-dairy ice cream and maximum 484 mg/100 g in mayonnaise. The results are discussed against a background of methodological aspects with the chosen analytical procedure and the importance of setting up valid PS databases for epidemiological studies.