Health Magazine

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Even after the FDA implements the new labeling regulations, food companies may have as long as six years to comply, so consumers need to be their own watchdog:

-- If the ingredients label lists hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil near the top, the product is likely loaded with trans fat, say experts.

-- Do the label math. In addition to saturated fat, some products list monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat (but it’s not required by the government so only some list it to support a health claim). If these three add up to less than the total fat amount, the difference is trans fat. Since fat content is rounded off to the nearest half gram, the addition may not be precise but at least you’ll have some ballpark idea.

-- Foods that are low in total fat are likely to be low in trans fat as well.

-- Don’t try to reduce trans fat by selecting products with higher saturated fat. Dr. Klauer has noticed, for instance, that some nutrition bars have eliminated trans fat by replacing partially hydrogenated oil with palm and coconut kernel oil. “That’s the most saturated fat there is,” she notes.

-- Watch serving sizes. “In some crackers and cookies, the amount of trans fat might only be one gram per serving, but the serving size is absurdly low,” cautions Geoffrey Martin, Ph.D, director of consumer sciences for Consumer Reports.

 

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