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Life in a Trans-Fat-Free Home From supermaket shelves to the table: just because it says trans-fat free doesn't make it so 
One by one, major restaurants are dropping trans fats from their menus. New York City is banning trans fats, and both Chicago and Los Angeles are examining the issue. However, none of these measures deal with or examine the food you bring home from the grocery store. Since January 1, 2006, federal law requires labels to list trans fat as part of the nutritional information. But labels that read “0 grams trans fat” aren’t always what they seem. You are likely consuming trans fats where you have assumed none exist. "Labels are not always accurate," says Stephen Joseph, CEO of bantransfats.com. "You have to look for partially hydrogenated vegetable oil." If it is listed in the ingredients, trans fats lurk in the product. Products that have less than 0.5 gram of trans fat per serving can post a label on the product that says "0 grams trans fat." (In Canada, the threshold is 0.2 gram of trans fat per serving.) Double check what the label lists as a "serving size." If you eat several servings, you could end up consuming several grams of trans fat from a product that is labeled “trans-fat free.” So where are trans fats lurking in your home? According to 2003 numbers from the FDA, 40 percent of the trans fats come from baked goods such as cakes, cookies, crackers, pies and bread. Joseph points out that in the last four years, the number of products on supermarket shelves with trans fat has been cut in half. Your best bet for cookies and crackers is to try the homemade route. When you bake at home, you don't use partially hydrogenated oils. Vegetarians and vegans can rest easy knowing they won’t consume the 21 percent of trans fats that stem from animal products. It's not clear whether these naturally occurring trans fats have the same effect on cholesterol and heart disease as the manmade kind. “Not all trans fats are the same,” Joseph says. “Nobody has suggested cutting back on meat and dairy products.” Margarine accounts for 17 of the trans fat on the market. Many products have emerged that are butter substitutes, but shortening and margarines generally have trans fat. According to Joseph, a good rule of thumb is that soft or tub butter substitutes are better for you than stick margarines. Fried potatoes (8 percent) – in the form of French fries and chips – are also a popular culprit of at-home trans fat. And while the final product is still heavy on fats when frying homemade potato chips and French fries, they will contain no trans fat. "People who cook at home are not going to be using a frying oil that has trans fat," says Joseph. Keep in mind that products free of trans fats still contain fat and saturated fat, and of course, calories. Portion size is always the most important element in keeping your waist-size and heart healthy. |
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