Trans Fat/Trans Fatty Acids
by Marjorie Parker
Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fat are found in many processed foods including vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, and snack foods. Trans fatty acids are produced by a process called partial hydrogenation, which involves heating liquid vegetable oils to make them solid. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of these oils and the foods that contain them.
Here is a list of ome common foods and the amount of trans fatty acids they contain (as per the USDA);
Vegetable shortening 1.4-4.2 gm
Margarine (stick) 1.8-3.5 gm
Margarine (tub, regular) 0.4-1.6 gm
Salad dressings (regular) 0.06-1.1 gm
Vegetable oils 0.01-0.06 gm
Pound cake 4.3 gm
Doughnuts 0.3-3.8 gm
Microwave popcorn (regular) 2.2 gm
Vanilla wafers 1.3 gm
French fries (fast food) 0.7-3.6 gm
Crackers 1.8-2.5 gm
Chips 0-1.2 gm
Chocolate candies 0.04-2.8 gm
White bread 0.06-0.7 gm
Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals 0.05-0.5 gm
The FDA has proposed a rule on trans fat that would add this information to food labels. This rule would require that the amount of trans fat per serving be added to the amount of saturated fat per serving so that the amount and percent Daily Value per serving on the Nutrition Facts panel will be based on the sum of the two. It based its proposal on recent studies that indicate that consumption of trans fatty acids contributes to increased blood LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) levels, which increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Recent information from the American Heart Association indicates that CHD causes about 500,000 deaths annually, making it the number one cause of death in the United States.
FDA is proposing to provide for information on trans fatty acids in nutrition labeling and for limits on trans fatty acids for content claims and for health claims in response to this important public health matter. This proposal also responded to a petition submitted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
(Food and Drug Administration)
