Students concerned with their health will be interested to hear about the Food and Drug Administration’s requirement to soon have the amount of trans fatty acids put on nutrition labels.
Trans fatty acids, or trans fats, are liquid oils which have gone through a process called hydrogenation, whereby each molecule of oil has several hydrogen atoms added to it. This makes the oil solid and less likely to become rancid. When this hydrogenated oil is used in food products, it increases the shelf life of that product.
According to DiscoveryHealth.com, trans fats cause a significant and serious increase in low-density lipoproteins or LDL cholesterol. This cholesterol is responsible for clogging arteries, type II diabetes and many other serious health problems. The FDA wrote, “Every consumer should know the intake of large amounts of trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease – a leading cause of death in the United States.”
The FDA had been working on the idea of requiring the amount of trans fats in a food product or dietary supplement to be listed on the nutrition label. In a press release issued at the beginning of the summer, the FDA Commissioner said, “We do need to get [trans fats] on the nutrition label as soon possible.”
On July 9, 2003, a ruling was set forth by the FDA to require all food manufacturers to declare the amount of trans fats in their products. The ruling states that this information must be present on the nutrition labels by Jan. 1, 2006.
Until this date, the amount of trans fats in a product is not required. However, if a consumer is interested in whether or not a product contains trans fats they can look at the ingredient listing. If a product contains shortening, partly hydrogenated vegetable oil or hydrogenated vegetable oils then the product has some trans fats. However, the further down the list of ingredients, the lower the amount of trans fats the product will contain.
While the FDA will require listing the amount of trans fats a product contains, it is not banning the ingredient entirely. When asked about the recommended amount of trans fats in a healthy diet, the FDA responded, “Right now the current daily recommendation is zero.”
Trans fats are also naturally found in some meats and dairy products. However, tests have not yet shown if trans fats found naturally affect the body in the same way.
The American Heart Association recommends the following to limit the intake of trans fats:
úChoose liquid or soft tub margarines and use them in moderation. In general, the softer the margarine, the less trans fats it contains. Margarines made without trans fats are now available.
úIt is even better to use naturally occurring, un-hydrogenated oils such as canola or olive oil when possible.
úAlso, look for processed foods made with un-hydrogenated oils, rather than hydrogenated or saturated fats.
úIf you use margarine as a substitute for butter, choose soft margarines (liquid or tub varieties) over harder, stick forms. Shop for margarine with no more than two grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and with liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient. And of course, they encourage you to limit your intake of french fries, doughnuts, cookies, crackers and other foods that are high in trans fatty acids.