Transparency of Trans Fat
- larafield
- Nov 15, 2013
- 2 min read
transtrans
What is trans fat anyway?
fat occurs naturally in meat and dairy products. However, most of the
fat consumed is industrially created. Artificial
fat is found in partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), produced by a chemical reaction, whereby fatty acids are reconfigured to increase the melting point, shelf life, and flavor stability. This reconfiguration can make liquid oils more solid at room temperature, enabling manufacturers to use liquid vegetable oils in baking instead of butter, where more solid fat is required. PHOs are found in many popular processed foods including baked goods (cookies, cakes, shelf-stable muffins), refrigerated dough products, frozen foods (pancakes, waffles), coffee creamers, microwave popcorn, even
What makes it so bad?
Research has shown a
between the intake of
fat and increased levels of LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol).
fat is considered the worst fat for your heart, even worse than saturated fats (found in butter, cream, cheese, palm kernel oil, and other animal products), which can also contribute to an increased risk of heart disease.
What should I look for?
Though quantity of
fat is listed on the Nutrition Facts panel, it is important to
to determine the safety of your food. Under current regulations, companies can claim "zero grams of
fat or
-fat free" if the food contains less than 0.5 grams of
fat per serving. Thus, consuming larger servings or selecting multiple foods with
fat ingredients can add up to significant intake. Looking for the words
within the list of ingredients is the best way to determine if your food contains
fat.
Comments