NPR Morning Edition, March 26, 2009
Here's a question to challenge your nutrition literacy: How much trans fat is likely in a package of cookies that are labeled as having zero grams per serving?
"I would say zero!" said Joanna Robinson, of Washington, D.C., who was grocery shopping this week during her lunch break. "I'd trust the label."
But other shoppers were more skeptical. "More than zero," said Guy Powell.
How To Spot Trans Fat
The way to know if a packaged food contains trans fat is to scan the ingredient label for oils labeled as "partially hydrogenated."
Food manufacturers have relied on hydrogenated oils to add shelf life
to products and also to make ingredients stick together better. The
process of adding hydrogen molecules to vegetable oils makes them
thicker [MORE]
Audio version [Listen Now]
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils and Trans Fatty Acids
Prepared by J. Lynne Brown, Penn State professor of food science.
Other Penn State Food Science Department health and wellness fact sheets.
