What To Watch Out For

The FDA label ruling and consumer awareness of the dangers of trans fats have led many food manufacturers to reformulate products to reduce or eliminate trans fats. Today you can buy cookies and soft-spread margarine with zero trans fats. But trans fats still exist in some products. Carefully read nutrition labels and chose brands that don't use trans fats and are low in saturated fat in these products:

• Cookies, crackers, cakes, muffins, pie crusts, pizza dough, and breads such as hamburger buns
• Some stick margarine and vegetable shortening
• Pre-mixed cake mixes, pancake mixes, and chocolate drink mixes
• Fried foods, including donuts, French fries, chicken nuggets, and hard taco shells
• Snack foods, including chips, candy, and packaged or microwave popcorn
• Frozen dinners

Trans Fat at-a-Glance

There are two sources of trans fat, also known as trans fatty acids:

• Trans fat formed naturally - this type of trans fat is produced in the gut of some grazing animals. That’s why small quantities of trans fat can be found in animal products like milk, milk products and meat.

• Trans fat formed during food processing - this type of trans fat is created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil (a process called hydrogenation) to make it more solid. Partially hydrogenated oils are used by food manufacturers to improve the texture, shelf life and flavor stability of foods. About half of the trans fat Americans consume is formed during food processing and partially hydrogenated oils are the main source this type of trans fat in the U.S.  

As a consumer, the most important thing to know about trans fat is that it raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol. An elevated LDL blood cholesterol level increases your risk of developing heart disease. Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women in the U.S.