Trans Fat: Hiding in Plain Sight

When in 2006 new federal regulations required a line for trans fat on Nutrition Facts labels, food manufacturers raced to reduce or eliminate partially hydrogenated oil -- the source of that nasty fat -- from their pie crusts, pastries, microwave popcorns, frozen French fries and other foods. Most big restaurant chains followed suit and replaced the partially hydrogenated oil in their fryers with healthier oils.

Artificial trans fat is a problem because it promotes heart disease -- even more so than saturated fat. Trans fat raises one's LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, and lowers HDL, the "good" cholesterol that protects against heart disease.

Unfortunately, not all companies got the memo. We surveyed the marketplace and found unsafe levels of trans fat in a number of products you might have in your refrigerator or cupboard... or at a favorite restaurant. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has asked the Food and Drug Administration to get rid of partially hydrogenated oil altogether. In the meantime, we suggest avoiding products like these.

To put these numbers into context, consider that the American Heart Association recommends limiting trans fat intake to no more than 2 grams per day. That's about as much as one might get from the naturally occurring trans fat in milk and meat, leaving very little room for the artificial kind in these foods. If you spy partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients list, put the package down and find another product.

 

Follow Michael F. Jacobson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CSPI

Comments

[wvoutlaw2k]

07:02 PM on 02/04/2012

Dr. Jacobson, doesn't Long John Silver's still use trans fats in its cooking oils?

[thoreau101]

06:58 AM on 01/25/2012

It's amazing that companies are legally allowed to sell poison to consumers.

[Richcrafter]

12:21 AM on 01/20/2012

I can't get passed the pressed chicken story. About to puke!

[T12345]

11:03 PM on 01/14/2012

I miss Tortino's pizza bites most. The Pillsbury stuff in the freezer section, I finally got over.

[GinaNsocal]

08:56 PM on 01/14/2012

All of the above is so overprocessed, I don't know how it can still be classified as a food

[Parkite]

11:17 AM on 01/15/2012

Food-like substance.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

04:48 PM on 02/08/2012

I don't know, Marie Callendar's makes a pretty darn good pie.

[bmitche]

05:49 PM on 01/14/2012

Good information. Thank you.

[Al Schrader]

05:14 PM on 01/14/2012

I look for extra trans fats and more salt. I like real pie that tastes like pie.
I make it with a crumb crust, real butter and shortening, and fresh apples. Then top it with vanilla ice cream made from real cream, real sugar, and real vanilla, and top that with fresh whipped cream made from whipping cream. I burn it off in about 20 minutes at work. My cholesterol astounds the doctors for being so low. If I worked at a desk, I'd already be dead, instead I run like a maniac with no breaks and no lunch non stop for 9 hours. I feel like a million bucks....Alfie-

[bmitche]

05:54 PM on 01/14/2012

Total cholesterol number is not as important as LDL and HDL, but I'm sure yours are great.

[Parkite]

11:19 AM on 01/15/2012

Triglycerides are the big concern. As are VLDL, very low density, those are the ones that get "stuck" in our arteries.

[LXIX WITHU]

08:14 PM on 01/14/2012

So, what's the recipe for that pie?

[Dancenownzen]

03:48 PM on 01/14/2012

SImple
1)Shop the outer isles of your store
2) eat VEGGIS and FRUIT and GRAINS and ORGANIC MEATS
3) Skip the dairy
4) BAKE COOK and PREPARE your own food - * example* you can buy apples and make apple sauce cheaper, healthier and BETTER than you can buy it. YOu can do this with almost anything

If it's "white" it ain't "right" - white dread, pasta. rice, flour, sugar etc

[wvoutlaw2k]

07:00 PM on 02/04/2012

Organic dairy is fine.

White dread? LMFAO! Perfect typo, for white bread is quite dreadful. :D

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

04:52 PM on 02/08/2012

Califlower?

[Dancenownzen]

03:41 PM on 01/14/2012

It's all BOXED processed food. GTrans fat is just 1 part of the garbage.

Why do people eat this crap?
Try SHOPPING for ingredients and COOKING healthy food. not that hard

[RobTheBl0gger2]

12:28 PM on 01/14/2012

Seems like everything I eat will kill me. I'll just cross my fingers and exercise.

[Michael F. Jacobson]

03:32 PM on 01/14/2012

Don't despair! Countless packaged foods don't have any artificial trans fat. Yes, there are questionable food additives, pesticides, and other contaminants in just about everything--including even organically grown foods--but you could do yourself a favor by guarding against the biggest health risks:
* high sugar (or high-fructose corn syrup) content, especially soft drinks
* high sodium content (including countless restaurant foods
* partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (and its trans fat)
* white flour
Base your diet on veggies, fruit, beans, whole grains, fish, and lowfat dairy and poultry products and you'll do just fine.

[kasel1]

04:32 PM on 01/14/2012

Try eating nothing and see how long you last.

[kokonut]

11:50 AM on 01/14/2012

i think the drug companys are helping the food companys make food that is bad for us so they can sell us drugs that have side affects that need more drugs to control the side afects.

[Michael F. Jacobson]

03:34 PM on 01/14/2012

The junk-food makers don't need any help from the drug industry. As they look for new niches in the supermarket that they could occupy, health is certainly not a high priority.

But don't think that companies are out to harm your health: they're just as happy to market healthy as unhealthy foods.

[dcsaulter]

08:08 PM on 01/14/2012

I would have to disagree. They have done everything to make our food/water horrible. They want us sick, so they can sell us more things that they say will make you better. When Whole Foods is teaming up with Monsanto?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rixyrCNVVGA&feature=player_embedded
I don't know if the link will work-this is a great video from the TED conf Robyn O'Brien talking about food allergies.

[WilliamLee]

09:09 PM on 01/14/2012

I disagree... Its all about money. Food with trans-fats last stay preserved longer because other organisms die when in contact with trans-fats. We humans have MULTIPLE bad effects from consuming trans-fats. One problem is that all the cell walls in the various tissues are made mainly from fatty acids. Cell walls made with trans-fats are defective, and make the tissue more likely to fail.

[dcsaulter]

08:09 PM on 01/14/2012

I could not agree more!! Fanned!!

[NJBill]

11:47 AM on 01/14/2012

Let's see... we are lectured about fats, salt, carbs and sugar. There's really nothing left to eat that is worth even using your tastebuds for after you get rid of all those foods in your diet. I'd rather enjoy my food and live 5 years less instead of eating lettuce with shaved carrots and rice cakes! (after all, what else is LEFT??)

[Michael F. Jacobson]

03:35 PM on 01/14/2012

Actually, there are a huge number of foods that are both delicious and healthful. I suggest you check out some good health-oriented cookbooks (even Betty Crocker has one) or go to health-oriented restaurants...and enjoy some great new tastes!

[Parkite]

11:31 AM on 01/15/2012

There is a whole world of great tasting food with good fats, low carbs and low sugar. Italian food, Asian food, French food, etc. They have plenty of taste, lots of herbs & spices.

[NJBill]

12:57 PM on 01/15/2012

Pasta is high in carbs...

[horsestoy]

11:12 AM on 01/14/2012

It's not hiding, your just ignoring it!

[Laura Kalbach]

11:21 AM on 01/14/2012

LOL-awesome comment!

[rob92782]

10:41 AM on 01/14/2012

Why are the levels in the popular brands of peanut butter not mentioned?

[toxhazzard]

12:00 PM on 01/14/2012

Good question. The popular brands are nothing more than peanuts ground up with trans fat shortening and sugar. Anything that says hydogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is fat in the can and will also make you that way.

[rob92782]

02:22 PM on 01/14/2012

I agree. Not only will hydrogenated oils make you gain weight, they also clog every artery in your body. My feeling is someone in the Federal Government is getting "payola" for allowing this to continue. I am sure the food industry has highly paid lobbyist to insure the continued use of inexpensive hydrogenated oils. Europe and Canada do not allow the use hydrogenated oils. Why do we? Ask the Federal Government!

[rob92782]

10:43 PM on 01/14/2012

I know it is impossible to list every food product that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrongenated oils, however some very popular food products contain them. Some are: Cheetos, All "Llittle Debbie" snacks (which really bothers me because the schools promote that particular brand in my area), Hostess products, Nabisco Graham Crackers (although the ones made in Canada do not contain hydrongented oils, since they are not allowed in Canada). Thank you for the reply.

[Michael F. Jacobson]

03:36 PM on 01/14/2012

I didn't mention peanut butter, because, fortunately, they don't contain much partially hydrogenated oil or trans fat. But we still should choose a natural peanut butter without added junk (including salt).

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

05:06 PM on 02/08/2012

Which peanut butters contain any partially hydrogenated oil or trans fats? There's no peanut butter I know of that has either partially hydrogenated fat or animal fat. There aren't any trans fats in peanut oil is there? I thought it was not naturally occuring in plants? Because there isn't any fat in fully hydrogenated fat, which is the ingredient on my Skippy and Jif labels. Because fully hydrogenated is 100% saturated and you can only have trans fats in unsaturated fats. I'll admit I only got a "B" in chemistry, but that sure doesn't seem possible.

[loyalinfidel]

09:52 AM on 01/14/2012

As a general rule, the further removed a food product is from its natural state, the more poison you are willingly allowing yourself to put into your body. Avoid processed foods as much as possible in your diet.