Increased knowledge of fatty acid metabolism and signaling capabilities of such molecules led researchers
to identify specific fatty acids that are capable of diminishing the risk for occurrence of some pathological states. Some fatty
acids naturally occurring in ruminant products, such as vaccenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid were shown to exert positive
impact on human health. Dietary source of fatty acids and production systems are the main factors affecting the fatty acid
profile of ruminant products. The biological effect of such molecules is fatty acids specific and, therefore, not all trans fatty
acids produce the same biological response - ruminant products are correlated with a profile of trans fatty acids not detrimental
to humans. Grass-based diets increase the percentage of conjugated linoleic acid and n-3 fatty acids, which ultimately result
in lower n-6/n-3 ratio. Supplemental lipids are other alternative, and more efficient, to increase polyunsaturated fatty acids
in meat and milk. The organoleptic properties of ruminant products may decrease as the percentage of long chain
polyunsaturated fatty acids increases. Future research should characterize feedstuff from semiarid regions that are capable of
improving the profile of fatty acids in meat and milk from small ruminants.