When it comes to food labels that list levels of unhealthy trans fats, zero plus zero doesn't always equal zero.
That's because newly implemented U.S. Food and Drug Administration rules on labeling allow foods with less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving to claim "zero" grams of trans fats on their labels.
Under these guidelines, which went into effect on Jan. 1, a food with 0.4 grams of trans fats can be listed as having zero trans fats. That means that Americans who consume three or four servings of these foods in a day will have unwittingly eaten an extra gram or two of trans fats.
And that's important because trans fats, like saturated fats, can raise the risk of heart disease as they increase levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol. Currently, the FDA estimates that Americans consume an average 5.8 grams of trans fats per day.
Barbara Schneeman, director of the Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements for the FDA said the reason the FDA is allowing foods under 0.5 grams of trans fats to be rounded down to zero is that current detection methods for trans fats aren't very reliable below 0.5 grams.
"I don't understand why that's acceptable. It will add up over time," said nutritionist Samantha Heller, from New York University Medical Center.
So, what's a concerned consumer to do?
"If you see a food with zero trans fat, check the ingredient list. Look for the words, 'partially hydrogenated.' If you see partially hydrogenated, that means the product contains some trans fats," said Heller.
The FDA adds that products with shortening or hydrogenated oils in their ingredient lists also contain some trans fats, and the higher up in the ingredient list you find those items, the greater the amount of trans fats the product will contain.
Trans fats are created when liquid oils are transformed into solids, a process called hydrogenation. They're prevalent in many processed foods because they add to a product's shelf life and increase flavor stability.
Heller said that most foods containing trans fats are foods you should eat in moderation anyway. She said they're often found in deep-fried restaurant foods, doughnuts, cookies, cakes and muffins.
Both Heller and Schneeman
emphasize that trans fats are only part of the picture.
"You can't look at trans fat alone. Some manufacturers might have eliminated trans fat by using products that are high in saturated fat," said Schneeman. "What we encourage consumers to do, to help lower their cardiovascular risk, is to look at trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol levels. A product can have zero grams of trans fat, but what is the amount of saturated fat?"
She also said that consumers should check food labels to see how much cholesterol a product contains.
"Trans fats are bad for you. Minimize them as much as possible. But be careful, because many companies are replacing trans fats with saturated fats," said Heller. "Just because something has zero trans fats doesn't mean people can eat as much as they want. We don't want to repeat the 'Snackwell Syndrome' when people thought they could eat a whole box of cookies because they were fat-free."
Revealing Trans Fats
Scientific evidence shows that consumption of saturated fat, trans
fat, and dietary cholesterol raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or
"bad" cholesterol, levels, which increases the risk of coronary heart
disease (CHD). According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute of the National Institutes of Health, more than 12.5 million
Americans have CHD, and more than 500,000 die each year. That makes CHD
one of the leading causes of death in the United States.
The Food and Drug Administration has required that saturated fat and dietary cholesterol be listed on food labels since 1993. Starting Jan. 1, 2006, listing of trans fat will be required as well. With trans fat added to the Nutrition Facts panel, you will know for the first time how much of all three--saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol--are in the foods you choose. Identifying saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol on the food label gives you information you need to make food choices that help reduce the risk of CHD. This revised label will be of particular interest to people concerned about high blood cholesterol and heart disease.
However, everyone should be aware of the risk posed by consuming too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. But what is trans fat, and how can you limit the amount of this fat in your diet?
What is
Trans Fat?
Basically, trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to
vegetable oil--a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases
the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats.
Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Unlike other fats, the majority of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in dairy products, some meat, and other animal-based foods.
Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL cholesterol that increases your risk for CHD. Americans consume on average 4 to 5 times as much saturated fat as trans fat in their diets.
Although saturated fat is the main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also contribute significantly.
Are All
Fats the Same?
Simply put: No. Fat is a major source of energy for the body and aids in
the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K and carotenoids. Both animal-
and plant-derived food products contain fat, and when eaten in
moderation, fat is important for proper growth, development, and
maintenance of good health. As a food ingredient, fat provides taste,
consistency, and stability and helps you feel full. In addition, parents
should be aware that fats are an especially important source of calories
and nutrients for infants and toddlers (up to 2 years of age), who have
the highest energy needs per unit of body weight of any age group.
While unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are beneficial when consumed in moderation, saturated and trans fats are not. Saturated fat and trans fat raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Dietary cholesterol also contributes to heart disease. Therefore, it is advisable to choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol as part of a healthful diet.
What Can
You Do About Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, and Cholesterol?
When comparing foods, look
at the Nutrition Facts panel, and choose the food with the lower amounts
of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. Health experts
recommend that you keep your intake of saturated fat, trans
fat, and cholesterol as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally
adequate diet. However, these experts recognize that eliminating these
three components entirely from your diet is not practical because they
are unavoidable in ordinary diets.
Where
Can You Find Trans Fat on the Food Label?
Although some food products
already have trans fat on the label, food manufacturers have
until January 2006 to list it on all their products.
You will find trans fat listed on the Nutrition Facts panel directly under the line for saturated fat.
More
information
To learn more about trans
fats, visit the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
SOURCES: Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D., director, Office of Nutritional Products,
Labeling and Dietary Supplements, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, College
Park, Md.; Samantha Heller, M.S., R.D., senior clinical nutritionist, New
York University Medical Center, New York City
This is a story from
WomensHealth.gov -
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women's Health