INDEPTH: OBESE NATION
Trans fats: FAQs
CBC News Online | June 28, 2006
The anti-trans fat bandwagon has been rolling across Canada since the fall of 2003, when Ontario cookie-maker Voortman Cookies announced it would rid its products of the unhealthy compound. The company's owner says his daughter – a naturopathic doctor – played a big role in convincing him to make a healthier cookie.
So far, only Denmark has legislation requiring limits to the levels of trans fats in food. In February 2004, the House of Commons was considering similar legislation – but it died when Parliament was dissolved and an election was called.
Since then, new labelling laws have come into effect and a growing list of companies has made snack products trans-fat free.
In June 2006, the federal Trans Fat Task Force recommended legislation to limit trans fats in processed foods. The task force called for a limit of two per cent of total fat content in spreadable margarine and five per cent in all other foods.
However, Canadians remain among the biggest consumers of trans fats in the world.
What is trans fat?
Trans fat is derived from a chemical process known as "partial hydrogenation." That's the process of converting liquid oils to a semi-solid form. It's what allows you to take a tub of margarine out of the fridge and spread it on your toast without ripping it apart, like you would with straight-from-the-fridge butter.
Food companies have tended to like trans fats because they allow their products to stay fresh on the shelves longer. And they're made from less expensive oils, keeping production costs down.
Why is it bad for me?
Trans fat raises the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol in the body. While saturated fats — found in butter, cheese, beef, and coconut and palm oil — raise cholesterol levels, trans fats go further. They also deplete good cholesterol (HDL), which helps protect against heart disease. The body is unable to break down trans fatty acids, causing them to build up in the body.
In other words, much like bacon grease clogging up the kitchen pipes, trans fats help to clog up the arteries leading to the heart and brain.
But don't I need some fat in my diet?
Absolutely. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends that 20 to 35 per cent of the calories you consume should come from fat. That's 45 to 75 grams of fat for the average woman on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. For the average man on a 2,500-calorie-a-day diet, it's 60 to 105 grams of fat.
Every day, Canadians consume an average of 10 grams of trans fats. May not sound like much – but a gram of trans fat is said to be 10 times harder on your body than a gram of saturated fat.
Trans fats also occur naturally in some animal-based foods such as butter, milk products, cheese, beef and lamb.
How can you tell if it's in food?
Look at the label. If it says "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" then there are trans fats in the product. Canada is the first country to require nutritional labelling with trans fats listed.
As of Dec. 12, 2005, the food industry was required to comply with the new regulations, while small businesses with less than $1 million in annual sales have until December 2007 to follow the label law.
Products that will not have to abide by the labelling regulations include:
- Alcohol.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Raw meat and poultry (except if it's ground).
- Raw fish and seafood.
- Foods sold in retail places where they are prepared and processed (e.g. a bakery).
- Individual servings of food intended to be eaten immediately (e.g. fast food).
| The trans fats in some popular food products: |
| Food | Serving Size | Total fat (g) | Trans fat(g) |
| Burger King Medium French Fries | 119 g | 18.5 | 6.5 |
|
Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll | 1 roll | 27 | 4 |
| Nabisco Chips Ahoy! Chocolate Chip Cookies | 32g (3 cookies) | 7.5 | 1.5 |
| Orville Redenbacher's Popping Corn Movie Theater Butter | 6.5g | 2 | 1 |
| Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran Cereal | 49g | 7 | 1.5 |
| Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Chocolate Chip | 28g (1 bar) | 4 | 0.5 |
| Frito-Lay Doritos Baked! Nacho Cheesier! Tortilla Chips | 28g | 4 | 0.5 |
| Pizza Pizza double cheese pizza | 100g | 6.87 | 0.42 |
Trans fats exist in processed foods but some foods have an inordinate amount of trans fats:
- Spreads. Hard margarine is loaded with trans and saturated fats. Other non-butter spreads and shortening also contain high amounts.
- Packaged foods, especially cake and pancake mixes.
- Instant soups and noodle kits.
- Fast foods such as french fries and fried chicken.
- Frozen food. Pies, waffles, pizzas and breaded fish are no-noes.
- Baked goods. Doughnuts, muffins, cakes, etc.
- Crackers. Shortening provides the crispy texture.
- Breakfast food. Breakfast cereal and energy bars are highly processed.
- Cookies and candy.
- Toppings and dips. Non-dairy creamers and flavoured coffees, whipped toppings, gravy mixes and salad dressing are loaded with trans fats.
Should I cut down my intake of trans fats?
Only if you're taking in more than you should. Some experts recommend that a maximum of 10 per cent of the total calories taken in should be "bad" fats. People in North America tend to eat up to five times the recommended daily allowance of such fats.
The American Heart Association released even stricter guidelines in June 2006 recommending that just one per cent of a person's total calories should be from trans fats. For a person who eats 2,000 calories per day, that's just two grams of trans fat daily, or about half a small bag of french fries.
What can I do?
Besides reading the labels on packages, you can:
- Use liquid vegetable oils when you cook: canola, corn, olive, safflower and sunflower oils (not always possible, especially when you're looking for something to spread on your morning toast).
- Increase your intake of natural low-fat foods such as vegetables, fruit, chicken, fish, turkey, beans and products containing whole grains.
How about when I eat out?
Here are some tips to keep in mind when ordering:
-
Axe the appetizers: Chicken wings, cheese sticks and other such items are crammed with trans fats.
- Avoid foods that are fried in shortening or margarine.
- Consider how the meal is prepared: chicken is healthy on its own but when it's fried or put in pastry, it's a trans-fat nightmare.
- Be careful with the sweet stuff: anything with pastry has tons of trans fat and that includes things made with dough — cinnamon buns, pie crust, baklava, croissants, etc.
What can I eat, then?
If you go to a deli consider the turkey sandwich or, if you're at a seafood restaurant choose the broiled fish. Grilled chicken is always a good choice and low-fat Chinese dishes such as stir-fried vegetables are good. Obviously, most salads are low in trans fats except if they contain meat or cheese, and beware of the dressing.
The list of companies that are removing or reducing their levels of trans fats is growing. Burlington, Ont.-based Voortman Cookies created a stir when it announced it would change its recipes to get get rid of trans fats. It reached that goal on April 5, 2004, becoming the first major cookie-maker to offer trans-fat-free cookies. The company's owner says his daughter – a naturopathic doctor – played a big role in the company's move.
The Kellogg Company has pledged to change its products by 2006 and Kraft has avoided a lawsuit in California by promising to rid Oreo cookies of trans fats soon.
McCain has promoted its Superfries as "trans fat free" while PepsiCo has marketed its Frito-Lay chips, Ruffles, Doritos and Cheetos in the same way.
Under Canadian law, products can be considered free of trans fats if they contain no more than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving.
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