Hero Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 how can a product be labelled " zero trans fats", but have hydrogenated oils in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 A side effect of incomplete hydrogenation which has implications for human health is the isomerization of the remaining unsaturated carbon bonds. The cis configuration of these double bonds predominates in the unprocessed fats of most foods. But hydrogenation partially converts these molecules to trans isomers, which in fats have been implicated in heart disease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggymeggy Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 The new food labeling laws going into effect require only that a product have less than a half gram of trans fats per serving to be labeled as 'trans fat free'. If a product is labeled as such and still has hydrogenated oils in it, it fall into that category (not 100% trans fat free, but less than half a gram per serving). Silly if you ask me. Trans fat free should mean trans fat FREE, but I guess it makes it easier on food manufacturers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Yep, just a bit of juggling with the math that food producers can get by with because they have a powerful lobby. But I'm sure many people just read the front of a label, see "Trans fat free" and think it's fine. Just like they see the "natural PB" label on the front of that new Skippy crap that contains sugar and palm kernel oil! Food manufacturers rely on customers having just the barest knowledge about nutrition, and being persuaded by buzz words like "trans-fat free," "sugar free" (which means there's some artificial sweetener in it), "all natural"(which could contain buckets of white sugar), etc. I've even seen foods labeled "calorie free"! Dressings, catsups, etc. Aside from water, what good is something that supposedly has no calories (but it DOES have calories, it's just they get away with rounding down, like with transfats). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSiren Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 A side effect of incomplete hydrogenation which has implications for human health is the isomerization of the remaining unsaturated carbon bonds. The cis configuration of these double bonds predominates in the unprocessed fats of most foods. But hydrogenation partially converts these molecules to trans isomers, which in fats have been implicated in heart disease Jza, that is one of the best explanations I have ever read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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