Before the age of biochemistry and dietetics, fat was just fat — and something to be avoided. Now, research has shown that this dietary rogue can be “saturated”, “monounsaturated”, “polyunsaturated”, “good”, “bad”, or something called “trans”.
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And it’s this latter form that changed the way the nutritional world thought about fat. Why? Because in July 2006, an Oxford University study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) directly linked dietary trans fat to increased “bad” LDL cholesterol, decreased “good” HDL cholesterol, and increased risk of heart disease.
This bad rap for trans fats was followed by revised food labelling laws in the UK, requiring manufacturers to specifically state trans fat content on their labels. The FDA passed the same rule for US manufacturers, and now estimates that by next year (2009), trans-fat labelling will have prevented 250-500 deaths, yearly.
So, has SA jumped on the trans-fat labelling train? Not yet, according to representatives from our Food Advisory Consumer Service (FACS): “Unfortunately, trans fat is seldom indicated on SA labels at present.”
And this is a big problem, because, “trans fats have been shown to be as bad for your heart as saturated fats,” says registered dietician, scientific director of FACS and Shape advisory board member, Jane Badham.
Trans? Saturated? Help!
Trans fat is produced when vegetable oils are heated and exposed to hydrogen gas — a process that changes the fat molecule’s carbon chain from a so-called “trans” shape into a “cis” shape. This process also transforms the liquid oil into a semi-solid fat (like margarine), which prolongs the shelf life and preserves the taste of foods like pastries, biscuits, cakes and potato chips.
Because of its solid consistency, the body interprets a trans fat in the same way it does a saturated fat, causing the same hike in “bad” LDL cholesterol, which can ultimately cause heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. In addition, trans fats are entirely unnecessary in the diet.
The SA situation
Although the now-famous BMJ article stated that, “addition of the content of saturated fat and trans fatty acids to nutrition labels would enable consumers to make food choices that could lower LDL concentrations and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease,” SA consumers still have to wait for the next version of food labelling regulations to come into legal force.
“This will give us an indication of the levels of trans fats permitted in products where any trans-fat claim is made,” says Badham. “For example, to make a claim of being ‘virtually trans-fat-free’ the product must have no more than 0,5g trans fats per 100g or 100ml, and to claim ‘low in saturated fat’, the product will have to have less than 1g of saturated fat per 100g and less than 0,5g trans fats per 100g, with a maximum of 10% of the combined energy from these fats.”
But, until labelling regulations are enforced, label reading looks set to be a big, fat bafflement for health-conscious consumers.
In the meantime, experts advise that we minimise trans fats in the diet by limiting total-fat intake and avoiding foods that are potential trans-fat traps.
Read between the lines
Here are some tips on recognising hidden trans fats on unclear labels:
If partially hydrogenated fats and oils are listed as ingredients, trans fats will be present.
If the total fat content is particularly high, it’s likely to contain trans fats.
Fat-based spreads (like margarine) are especially problematic. Choose products labelled VTF (virtually trans-fat free).
Contact the manufacturers of your favourite products to find out what trans fat they contain.
- (Justine Cottrell, Shape Magazine, October 2006)
Before the age of biochemistry and dietetics, fat was just fat — and something to be avoided. Now, research has shown that this dietary rogue can be “saturated”, “monounsaturated”, “polyunsaturated”, “good”, “bad”, or something called “trans”.
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