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Clearing
up some trans fat confusion
September 30, 04
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Judging by the messages I’ve received from readers,
there’s plenty of confusion over choosing foods that
are trans fat-free.
That’s partly due to alternatives to trans fats that
food companies are already cooking up as the countdown to
January 2006 – the date by which companies must list
trans fats on nutrient fact labels – draws nearer. It’s
also due to the simple fact that most products don’t
yet list the amount of trans fat a food contains.
My advice up to now has been two-fold:
* Read products’ ingredient lists and avoid those made
with trans fat-containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated
oils; or
* Look for products that already state on the label that they
are “trans fat-free.”
But that doesn’t cover all circumstances, as some of
you have discovered.
For example, my neighbor, Leslie, came to my door last week
wielding a 2-pound bag of Stauffer’s Original Animal
Crackers. The label stated that the product was trans fat-free,
but the ingredient listing included partially hydrogenated
oil. Another reader questioned a box of cookies that also
contained partially hydrogenated oil and had a label that
read “0 grams trans fat.”
What gives?
The answer: A small amount of partially hydrogenated oil is
used in some products, but the amount is less than a half
gram per serving. That qualifies the food to be called “trans
fat-free.” However, eat enough servings, and those fractions
of a gram of fat may add up.
Also, I have learned that I – and other nutritionists
– may have incorrectly described peanut butter as a
trans fat-filled food due to the hydrogenated oil listed on
the label. A study, conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
with partial funding from the peanut industry, found that
Jif, Peter Pan, Reese’s, and Skippy peanut butters,
all made with hydrogenated oil, did not contain measurable
amounts of trans fats.
Of course, you’d never know whether a particular peanut
butter was trans fat-free unless that fact was noted on the
nutrition label or you happened to hear of the study, which
was pointed out to me by a USDA researcher. Unless the information
is listed on a product’s package or nutrient fact label,
most shoppers still have to assume foods made with hydrogenated
oils contain trans fats.
Here’s another new item to look for: Crisco shortening
with no trans fats.
To most nutritionists, Crisco shortening has been almost synonymous
with trans fat. Not any more. A new formulation mixes fully
hydrogenated cottonseed oil – a hard, waxy substance
– with sunflower and soy oils to soften it into a form
that resembles the appearance and function of original Crisco
shortening. It contains no trans fats or cholesterol, but
it does contain 3 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon.
What’s fully hydrogenated oil?
When oils are hydrogenated, hydrogen atoms are added to fat
molecules, changing the chemical configuration of the fat.
The process is often only partially completed, depending upon
the properties the food manufacturer wants the fat to have.
“Partial hydrogenation” leaves a high concentration
of trans fatty acids. (When food labels just list “hydrogenated”
oils, they are usually referring to partially hydrogenated
oils). When hydrogenation is complete, fully hydrogenated
oils are solid at room temperature and no trans fats remain.
Where does this information leave shoppers?
While we wait for January 2006 to roll around, the most practical
option is to go by any trans fat information you may find
on product labels at this time – “Zero trans fats”
or “Trans fat-free!” – and the information
that is gradually being made available on the nutrient fact
label by manufacturers. We’ll no doubt be seeing more
of it soon, especially for products – like peanut butter
– that compare favorably to others where trans fats
are concerned.
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