GLOSSARY

Hydrogenation adds hydrogen at double bonds, with reaction extent affecting texture and composition; it differs from hydrolysis.

Hydrogenation adds hydrogen at double bonds and can make oil more solid. Partial hydrogenation can produce trans isomers, whereas complete hydrogenation produces predominantly saturated fatty acids and need not leave high trans levels. All hydrogenated products are therefore not equivalent; saturated fat, trans fat and the full formulation matter when selecting foods.

A double bond restricts the free rotation possible around a single bond. Cis geometry places chain segments on the same side and usually introduces a bend; trans places them on opposite sides. A trans fatty acid remains chemically unsaturated, but its nutritional implications should not be equated with those of ordinary cis-unsaturated fats.

Saturation concerns carbon–carbon double bonds in a fatty-acid chain, not fullness after eating or a food's energy content. One double bond defines monounsaturation; multiple bonds define polyunsaturation. Their positions and cis or trans geometry also matter, so counting bonds alone cannot explain every physical property or biological effect.