Trans fats, false advertising

[dmauder]

This might seem like a strange question, but I'm going to ask it anyway...

My wife and I were at the store today and were trying to find a "healthy" butter spread without buying actual butter. I looked at several different brands that were labeled "zero trans fats" on the front of the package, and the nutrition label indicated 0% trans fats, yet the ingredient list showed hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

My understanding is that anything hydrogenated contains trans fats. Am I correct? And if so, how can these food companies advertise zero trans fats on the package?

Does anyone have some insight on this?

Gemini4X

PS. In case you're wondering, we're trying to eliminate all white flour, sugar, hydrogenated oils, aspartame (and other chemical sweeteners), and high fructose corn syrup from our diets.

[Adam]

It's simple: "trans fats" don't exist... The technical term is "trans-fatty acids," so even if a product has some trans-fatty acids in it, technically it doesn't have any of the fictional trans fats.

[moltar]

Also have a look at these hidden names for MSGs:

Hidden Names for MSG

[RandomJohn]

Gemini4X (hey, that's my sign except for the 4X) -

The FDA allows a certain amount of trans-ahem!-fatty acids in foods that are labeled 0-trans-fat. I think the maximum is 1/2 g, but you may want to corroborate that. At any rate, look at the ingredient list and believe that over the goofy-looking label.

[FireLife]

As the poster before me said, if a food has less than 0.5g of any item listed, it is allowed to say zero trans fat (this gives some slack due to manufacturing process remnants). What this means for you is that food companies have effective hidden trans fats by decreasing the serving size to hide the trans fats. They are then allowed to claim "zero trans fats". So, you are doing the right thing by looking for partially hydrogenated plant oils on the label. It is best to avoid trans fatty acids completly!

Here are a few resources that I have found along my path:

Food Labels -- Nutrition information and misinformation (Page 3 of 3)

Trans Fats - What are Trans Fats or Hydrogenated Fats?

Revealing Trans Fats

Healthy Person: 10 Worst Trans Fat Foods

Ban Trans Fats: The Campaign to Ban Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Trans Fatty Acids and Coronary Heart Disease, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health

Hope that helps and stay healthy!

[dmauder]

Originally Posted by FireLife

As the poster before me said, if a food has less than 0.5g of any item listed, it is allowed to say zero trans fat (this gives some slack due to manufacturing process remnants). What this means for you is that food companies have effective hidden trans fats by decreasing the serving size to hide the trans fats. They are then allowed to claim "zero trans fats". So, you are doing the right thing by looking for partially hydrogenated plant oils on the label. It is best to avoid trans fatty acids completly!

Here are a few resources that I have found along my path:

Food Labels -- Nutrition information and misinformation (Page 3 of 3)

Trans Fats - What are Trans Fats or Hydrogenated Fats?

Revealing Trans Fats

Healthy Person: 10 Worst Trans Fat Foods

Ban Trans Fats: The Campaign to Ban Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Trans Fatty Acids and Coronary Heart Disease, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health

Hope that helps and stay healthy!

Thanks FireLife - you posted some GREAT links! Very interesting reading to say the least!

I guess "trans fats" really do exist... Even the FDA refers to them that way.

Gemini4X

[joelr]

Smart Balance butter is good. No hydrogenated oils and it's tasty.
You can get the "Omega3" version that has a small amount of flaxseed oil that gives it a little omega3 fat. But it's still mostly omega6 essential fats.

[Andrew Brunelle]

Less than 0.5g means 0g trans fats. If it says No trans fats, then it has none. They also made the serving sizes smaller but most people don't change their eating habits based on serving sizes. So thus, it is deception on a monumental level, although I wish they would say 0.434384785433273473g trans fats instead of 0g trans fats.

[stanmrak]

Why not just use organic butter? Don't believe the myth that saturated fats are bad for you. Is there a more pervasive hoax going on today?

[scorpio1980]

I agree with Stanmrak. Why not just use butter? I mean are you planning to make it such a big portion of your diet that it would really make a difference? A healthy butter from grass fed cows could have generous portions of k2, and a very healthy fat profile, believe it or not. I never understand the reasoning behind the fake stuff. Fake butter, fake meat, fake ice cream, fake bread, etc. I just feel that if I think something is unhealthy, but I still like the taste I will simply limit the amount I eat of the real thing. Congrats on improving your diet it isn't always easy.

[beast]

I love love love butter, but it's my understanding that this stuff isn't so bad -

Earth Balance Natural Spreads

[Havard]

There's no need to avoid butter. The 'healthy' alternatives are a lot worse for you than some natural pure butter.

Go for grass fed or organic butter if you can find it and use butter without a seconds regret!

[sirkinm]

Originally Posted by stanmrak

Why not just use organic butter? Don't believe the myth that saturated fats are bad for you. Is there a more pervasive hoax going on today?

It's so pervasive - I was just reading another thread where a poster was warning about saturated fat in red meat.

On the topic of trans fat, yuck. Your body can't properly process that artificial fat, and you end up stuck with it. I won't eat anything that would have partially hydrogenated oils because I stick to whole foods. The OP was absolutely correct to identify these products as having trans fat, despite the deceptive labeling.

[moonrambler]

I love butter too. None of the 'spreads' tastes all that great.

Just to mention, this thread got bumped due to spam, so the OP is probably not still looking for an answer Good topic though!

[liamona]

Originally Posted by beast

I love love love butter, but it's my understanding that this stuff isn't so bad -

Earth Balance Natural Spreads

I think it is. Have you seen the ingredients?!

It's got soybean and canola oil, "natural" flavor derived from corn (hopefully not GMO but I'm not holding my breath), and soy protein.

It contains 3 grams of polyunsaturated oils per tablespoon. Yeah, I'll just stick to butter, thank you.

[liamona]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

Just to mention, this thread got bumped due to spam, so the OP is probably not still looking for an answer

It seems like this forum is filled with posters like that, or people who just post ten or less messages to the less-interesting threads. Sometimes it seems like it's deliberate, as a way to push down the threads that ARE interesting and have good information, to the second and third pages, out of sight.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by liamona

It seems like this forum is filled with posters like that, or people who just post ten or less messages to the less-interesting threads. Sometimes it seems like it's deliberate, as a way to push down the threads that ARE interesting and have good information, to the second and third pages, out of sight.

This sub-forum is particularly prone to spam and spam-bots, and I'm not always sure how they choose the threads where the spam appears. Sometimes it's logical and other times not so much. Lots of times we don't delete the posts even if we ban the spammer and delete the spam link, because the person's post might've gotten quoted a couple times and responded to. So you might see ten or less messages from one person that don't really say anything.

[liamona]

Originally Posted by moonrambler

This sub-forum is particularly prone to spam and spam-bots, and I'm not always sure how they choose the threads where the spam appears. Sometimes it's logical and other times not so much. Lots of times we don't delete the posts even if we ban the spammer and delete the spam link, because the person's post might've gotten quoted
a couple times and responded to. So you might see ten or less messages from one person that don't really say anything.

Okay, that makes sense, and I see why you wouldn't want to delete the posts. But it sounds like it makes your job a little more complicated! :S

[beast]

Originally Posted by liamona

I think it is. Have you seen the ingredients?!

It's got soybean and canola oil, "natural" flavor derived from corn (hopefully not GMO but I'm not holding my breath), and soy protein.

It contains 3 grams of polyunsaturated oils per tablespoon. Yeah, I'll just stick to butter, thank you.

Ooh yeah, that doesn't look too healthy! Well, I love butter, thank goodness. Mmmmmmmmm butter.

[moonrambler]

Originally Posted by liamona

Okay, that makes sense, and I see why you wouldn't want to delete the posts. But it sounds like it makes your job a little more complicated! :S

You have no idea the travails we must endure!

Here's another thing that happens. Sometimes a new person starts posting stuff that's pointless, and we keep an eye on that person because it's spam waiting to happen, and then the posts just stop. Like this person was planning on spamming and never got around to it.

[liamona]

Originally Posted by beast

Ooh yeah, that doesn't look too healthy! Well, I love butter, thank goodness. Mmmmmmmmm butter.

*chuckle*

Originally Posted by moonrambler

You have no idea the travails we must endure!

Here's another thing that happens. Sometimes a new person starts posting stuff that's pointless, and we keep an eye on that person because it's spam waiting to happen, and then the posts just stop. Like this person was planning on spamming and never got around to it.

Yeah, I've seen that too! Thanks for all the work you do. ((hugs))