Hidden Trans Fat
| Author: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE |
| Last Updated: Friday, March 17, 2006 |
Q: "The Shedd’s Spread Country Crock Plus Yogurt® label says "No Trans Fat per serving", but the ingredients state it contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Now I'm confused, does this have to do with the percentage in a tub?"
A: Congratulations for becoming a "trans fat detective!" Food labeling can be confusing. You are correct in that it means there is a very small amount of trans fat in the tub.
This is an excerpt from an FDA explanation: (link provided below)
|
"Q: Is it possible for a food product to list the amount of
trans fat as 0 g on the Nutrition Facts panel if the ingredient list indicates
that it contains "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil?"
A: Yes. Food manufacturers are allowed to list amounts of trans fat with less than 0.5 gram (1/2 g) as 0 (zero) on the Nutrition Facts panel. As a result, consumers may see a few products that list 0 gram trans fat on the label, while the ingredient list will have "shortening," "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil," or "hydrogenated vegetable oil" on it. This means the food contains very small amounts (less than 0.5 g) of trans fat per serving." |
Also, Lynne Lyons, MPH, RD, CDE, of Abbott Diabetes Care added that you need to be careful to watch the serving size when reading these labels. Some of the serving sizes are so small that most people will eat double or triple that amount, thus ingesting more than 0.5 gm of trans fat. For example, a potato chip serving size is approximately 15 chips — and most people don't stop at 15 chips.
I would recommend you review this with your dietitian.
Related Questions
Trans Fats
Q:
"What are Trans Fats?"
Related Links
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov
Important Notice: The responses provided by the team of Diabetes Educators are based on their personal experiences and expertise as practicing diabetes healthcare professionals, and are not to be considered diabetes management advice from Abbott Laboratories. Remember that information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.
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