Fatty acid

A fatty acid (FA) is an organic compound with a carboxyl group (-COOH) at one end of its aliphatic chain, and a methyl group (-CH3) at the opposite end.

The fats and oils in food contain various types of fatty acids, including saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated varieties. Common examples of these fatty acids are:

Saturated fatty acids – palmitic, stearic, myristic, and lauric acid Monounsaturated fatty acids – oleic and caproleic acid