Both instant coffee mix and powdered creamer contain high fat levels equivalent to fatty pork, a report found on Thursday.

According to a research team led by professor Hwang Geum-taek of Seoul National University, most instant coffee stick products and creamers had a high level of saturated fat that can raise the cholesterol level in the blood.

The team studied proportions of fat and saturated fat in 14 different creamer products and 11 instant coffee mix sticks currently on the market.

The proportion of fat in all of the creamer products ranged between 15.4 and 28.5 percent. Of the total, nine products had more than 25 percent fat, similar to the proportion of fat contained in pork belly. All the coffee mix products, except for one, had more than 10 percent fat content, the team said.

The proportion of saturated fat in all of the products was extremely high. Of the 14 creamers, 12 products had fat content that was 90 percent saturated fat. All of the coffee mix products were loaded with 99 percent saturated fat, much higher than in chicken and beef which are 29 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

Experts warned of the health risks related to consuming saturated fat, which raises one’s levels of cholesterol and neutral fat, which is stored as pedding or insulation in the body, that increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, they said.

The team said that the most of the products were probably made of coconut or palm oil, adding that manufacturers left out some ingredient information on the packages.

Vegetable oils are high in unsaturated fat which is beneficial for blood vessels. But palm and coconut oil contain a high level of saturated fat unlike other types of non-animal oils.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)