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Find
trans fat info on new labels
January 05, 06
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Something
that can help us all eat better is arriving in grocery stores:
information about the trans fat content of packaged foods.
Beginning this week, federal regulations require most food
manufacturers to list on the nutrition facts panel the number
of grams of trans fat in their products.
Major scientific reports on trans fats conclude the same thing:
Intakes should be as low as possible. In a report issued by
the Institute of Medicine, experts found that even small amounts
of trans fat were associated with an increased risk of coronary
artery disease.
There is no safe level of intake of trans fat, the report
said.
What are trans fats?
Trans fat is created when vegetable oil is put through a process
called hydrogenation, changing the chemical configuration
of the oil, making it thicker in consistency.
Partially hydrogenated oils improve the texture and shelf
life of cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, snack foods and thousands
of other products. They’re also used in restaurants
for cooking french fries, chicken nuggets and other deep-fried
foods.
But even with label information, you may not find it possible
to avoid trans fats all the time. They’re everywhere:
40 percent of foods sold in supermarkets contain them.
In fact, the government hedges on its dietary advice about
trans fats. Recommendations consider not only what’s
best for health but also what’s practical.
Researchers who wrote the IOM report felt it would be unrealistic
to tell Americans to eat zero trans fats. They feared people
who tried to avoid them completely might so restrict their
diets that they would cause shortages of other nutrients.
The final report recommended “… that trans fat
consumption be as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally
adequate diet.”
So if the ultimate goal is really zero, but getting to zero
would be difficult, what’s a realistic goal?
One option: Use the information on labels to compare products
and choose those lowest in trans fats.
But you should also consider saturated fat.
Why?
Because just like trans fat, the IOM also concluded there
is no safe level of intake of saturated fat. However, a longstanding
recommendation for saturated fat intake sets the limit at
not more than 10 percent of total calories.
Here’s how to handle both fats at the same time: Add
the grams of trans fat with grams of saturated fat. From there,
follow the standard guidelines for saturated fat intake.
Using that approach, establish a personal limit for saturated
and trans fat based on the number of calories you eat each
day. Someone eating 2,000 calories per day would limit the
combined total of saturated fat and trans fat to no more than
22 grams. But, less is even better.
For calorie intakes closer to 1,500 per day – typical
for most women and many men trying to lose weight –
the combined limit for saturated fat and trans fat would be
16 grams per day. And again, lower is even better.
That’s a challenge, particularly considering the amount
of saturated fat most of us get from cheese, meat, butter
and other animal products. Many food companies are reformulating
their products to reduce or rid them of trans fats, but trans
fats won’t disappear overnight.
And restaurants aren’t required to list the trans fat
content of menu items. Fast foods, fries, grilled sandwiches
and pancakes are loaded with trans fats.
Do what you can. Resolve to become an avid label reader in
2006. Now that the information is there (or mostly there –
some food companies will be allowed to use up their stockpile
of old labels into 2006), much of the guesswork will be taken
out of shopping.
And you’ll be on your way to being – mostly –
trans fat-free.
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