You may recall that some years ago trans fatty acids (TFAs) were declared a health danger. TFAs are produced by partially hydrogenating vegetable oils until they are in a semi-solid state (like lard or butter). This makes them convenient from a manufacturing standpoint, but dangerous from a human one. They were so clearly linked to heart and metabolic risks that a major study of them was halted before completion so the researchers could warn the public. Labels began to require notification of TFA percentages in 2006.
Well, what’s happened in recent years? Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health, working with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), have examined commonly available manufactured foods, comparing 270 products in 2007 and again in 2011. They found mixed results. Good news: some manufacturers have reformulated two thirds of their products to reduce (or even eliminate) TFAs. Hmm, seems to me that this is another example of “the sky did not fall” when regulations based on good science are enforced. Bad news: some manufacturers have not, and even those who began going the right direction have slowed their efforts. Result: TFAs can still be found in hundreds of products.
“Artificial trans fat wreaks havoc on Americans’ metabolism and blood chemistry, something the FDA has known for 15 years,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “This study clearly indicates that some food companies simply can’t be relied upon to get rid of trans fat on their own. The FDA could solve this problem once and for all, and save thousands of lives, with the stroke of a pen.”
How to protect yourself? You can’t be expected to read this whole study, even though it lists all 270 products the authors studied. The table of results is pretty complicated. What you can do: Read labels! Anything with trans fat should be avoided completely. Unfortunately, “Products that contain less than half a gram of trans fat per serving may list zero grams on Nutrition Facts labels,” said one of the study’s co-authors Dr. Fadar Otite. Let me add that the phrase “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” is a euphemism for TFAs and any product containing it should be avoided as well. Here’s one more reason to choose organic whenever possible.
