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Is Trans-fat Healthier? |
by Glenda Kinder, Nutrition and Health Specialist
kinderg@missouri.edu
Now that "trans-fats" must appear on nutrition labels, manufacturers are finding new ways to produce their products "trans-free." Making a product "trans-free" can be difficult because the partially hydrogenated oils that contain trans-fats produce light and flaky pastries, crunchy chips and fries and snacks that don’t spoil. So, finding an acceptable substitute that still gives the food these qualities can be tricky. Does eliminating trans-fat always mean that these products are going to be healthier? Not necessarily!
Many manufacturers have turned to tropical oils as substitutions and tropical oils are the plant fats that tend to be highly saturated. The most common one used is palm oil, which is 50% saturated fat, or they may use palm kernel oil or coconut oil, which are even more saturated (75% and 92%, respectively). Substituting saturated fats for trans fats is not exactly a healthy tradeoff.
Some manufacturers are now using more healthful oils made from sunflower oil. One such product is called NuSun which is not only low in saturated fats (less than 10%), but high in oleic fatty acids, the same beneficial monounsaturated fat that’s in olive oil. Even though it's made from sunflower oil, the properties of NuSun have a more favorable omega 6 to omega 3 ratio. Right now Frito- Lay is using NuSun in some of the following products: Doritos, Tostitos, Cheetos, Lay’s and Ruffles chips and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish.
Two other low-trans oils are being used in some processed foods: Vistive and Nutrim. These oils are made from genetically engineered soybeans. Both are slated to be used in Kellogg’s products sometime next year.
The American Heart Association issued new strict guidelines for dietary trans-fat consumption. They now recommend less than 1% of calories come from trans-fats. Products using these new oils will make it easier to stay within the new trans limit while avoiding the saturated fats in palm oil, palm kernel oil or coconut oil.
Reference: Environmental Nutrition 10/2006
Articles reprinted from Silver Threads with permission of Kris Jenkins, editor, University of Missouri Extension. Copyright © 2003-2006 The Curators of the University of Missouri
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