Trans Fats

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that are neither required nor beneficial for health. Eating trans fats increases your risk for coronary heart disease, therefore you should consume as little as possible. The good news is that many companies are voluntarily removing trans fats from their products or coming out with trans-free product lines.

Trans fats are naturally found in small amounts in dairy and meat prducts. However, most of the trans fats that we consume today are made industrially as a side effect of partially hydrogenating plant oils. By adding hydrogen to unsaturated oils, products have a longer shelf life and decreased refrigeration requirements.

Major food sources of trans fats:

40% from pies, cakes, cookies, breads, crackers

21% from animal products

17% from margerine

8% from fried potatoes

5% from potato chips, corn chips, popcorn

4% from household shortening

3% from salad dressing

1% from breakfast cereal

1% from candy

Data based on FDA’s economic analysis for the final trans fatty acid labeling rule, "Trans Fatty Acids in Nutrition Labeling, Nutrient Content Claims, and Health Claims" (July 11, 2003)