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February 10, 2012
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Nutrition Article
WILL TRANS FATTY ACIDS APPEAR ON THE FOOD LABEL?
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In NUTRITION, baby boomers receive healthy eating tips from health reporters and dietitians, many of whom are boomers, too.  Judy Swancutt Registered Dietitian |
 How Many HiddenTrans Fatty Acids? |
(50PlusPrime) SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN --
In 1999 the Federal Department of Agriculture made a proposal to amend its regulations on nutrition labeling. This action was initiated because research has shown that trans fatty acids are a heart hazard equal to, if not greater than, saturated fat.Currently the Nutrition Facts Label on each food container must state the amount of fat in both calories and grams. It must also include the grams of saturated fat in each food product. The new regulation, if passed, would require the manufacturer to disclose the amount of trans fatty acids.
Trans fatty acids are a bi-product of a process that converts a vegetable fat, which is a liquid at room temperature, to a solid fat. This process is called hydrogenation but it can be called saturation, as it actually makes a saturated fat out of an unsaturated fat. This saturation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of vegetable oils and the foods that contain them. People often do not make the connection between hydrogenation and saturation. Trans fatty acids, like saturated fats, increase low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) but currently there is no evidence of their presence on the Food Label.
This can lead the consumer to associate the claim “made with 100% vegetable oil,” as better for health. Hydrogenation has actually made this heart healthy assumption false and even on conscientious consumer may be misled.
Under the proposed regulations health claims such as low fat, low saturated fat and reduced fat, will now have to take into account how many grams of trans fatty acids as well as grams of saturated fat are included in the product. Examples include:
- Reduced fat product claims could only be made if a product has less thane 25% of both trans and saturated fat combined.
- Low saturated fat claim could only be made for products with less than .5 grams of trans fats per serving compared to the current requirement of less than 1 grams of saturated fat. This could possibly affect some of the margarines on the market, because hydrogenation is used to convert a vegetable oil into a margarine, which then can be spread on bread. The greater the degree of hydrogenation the greater the trans fatty acids in the product.
- Cholesterol claims will only be allowed if the product has less than 2 grams saturated and trans fatty acids combined.
- Low saturated fat could only be made on foods with less then .5 grams of trans fat per serving.
This proposal is a good one and the quicker the FDA can get this amendment approved and on to our food labels, the faster the consumer can be made aware how much of this heart damaging fat is contained in the products that we eat. Maybe fewer products will include hydrogenated fat, which is definitely a health benefit.
