Should You Also Be Concerned with Trans Fat? (1/2)

What is Trans Fat? Trans Fat is One Molecule Away From Plastic. Trans Fat is an artificial compound called hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. It is created by hydrogenation – bubbling hydrogen gas through heated oil. This distorts some of the molecules to the point where they are one molecule away from the molecular structure of plastic. Trans Fat (i.e., trans fatty acids) H -C=C H Hydrogen atoms are on opposite sides of the chain of carbon atoms at the carbon-carbon double bond. Why Trans Fat Should Be Banned from Food? Trans Fat Causes More Weight Gain Than Normal Fats Since all types of fat have 9 calories per gram, you might be skeptical that artificial Trans Fat could cause more weight gain than natural fat. But it does. Trans Fat molecules alter the membranes of cells, making them resistant to insulin. When you have resistance to insulin, you have weight gain and possibly obesity. Natural fat does not affect cells’ interaction with insulin. Where Trans Fat Can Be Found? Trans Fat Hides in Most Restaurant and Packaged Foods If you think it's just in McDonald's fries, read on: artificial Trans Fat is prevalent in everyday foods. It is in more than 40% of grocery store products, and in nearly every fast-food, quick-casual, and casual restaurant. Many food preparers use it because it gives foods a longer shelf life and is cheaper than natural vegetable oil. Wondering about a Burger King chicken sandwich? Yup – it's in there. But how about a sandwich at Subway? Or a muffin at Starbucks? Yes, and oh yes. On the new dietary guidelines issued by the U.S. Why should restaurants be concerned about Trans Fats? Ignoring It Will Hurt Your Business Food and Drug Administration in 2003 encouraged consumers to decrease their consumption of trans fats, as they have been linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease and heart attacks, and they have been shown to raise bad cholesterol while decreasing good cholesterol. In letters to three dozen major restaurant chains and food manufacturers, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has asked the companies to “protect consumers’ health by changing from hydrogenated vegetable oil to less heart-harmful oils.” Trans fat raises blood cholesterol and therefore the risk of heart disease,” said Margo Wootan, senior scientist for CSPI. “Because of the medical evidence, CSPI expects the Food and Drug Administration to soon propose that trans fat be listed on the Nutrition Facts labels of packaged food. Since restaurants aren’t required to provide nutrition information, they should protect their customers’ hearts simply by switching from hydrogenated vegetable oil to oils that are lower in saturated and trans fat.” The Good News Replacement for Trans Fat Can Be Found “We have direct replacements for the hydrogenated oil used in most restaurants,” says Willie Loh of Cargill Foods, the Minneapolis-based agribusiness. For frying, Cargill sells a non-hydrogenated canola oil that can replace the current favorite, a pourable shortening that is 20-to-30-percent trans (and usually 15-to-20- percent saturated). Why Is Elinimating TransFats Difficult? There Is Not Enough Reasonably Priced Replacement Oil Finding a way to have businesses change the oil they use is even more problematic for the fast-food industry, which uses partially hydrogenated oil in deep-fat fryers and on griddles. McDonald's problem, like that of many other giant food companies, is one of supply and demand. There simply is not enough reasonably priced replacement oil that is capable of retaining the signature flavor of a McDonald's fry, said John Jansen, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Bunge, the world's largest processor of oilseeds like soybean and canola.