How to
keep trans fats under control
Foods now list fat amounts
per serving, but it's unclear how much is safe
Food labels now list the
amount of trans fat in foods. Consumers, however, need
to develop some strategies to use this new information
effectively.
The amount of trans fat per
serving is listed on food labels underneath total fat,
along with other types of fat, like saturated,
polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. Although trans fat
occurs naturally in some animal fat, most trans fats in
the American diet come from partially hydrogenated oils.
These are vegetable oils that have hydrogen forced into
their chemical structure to give them a longer shelf
life before spoiling. Because hydrogenated oils harden,
they can be used in margarine or shortening. Almost a
third of the fat in these products is trans fat.
Many consumers are aware
that trans fat is unhealthy, but researchers don’t yet
agree on what amount is safe.
