- Home
- Products
- Meat and Poultry
- Fish and Shellfish
- Dairy
- Fruit, Fruit Products
- Vegetables
- Sauces, Dressing, and Dips
- Condiments, Herbs & Spices, Spreads
- Ingredients for Cooking
- Beverages
- Prepared Foods
- Bakery Goods and Sweets
- Munchies
- Grains, Pasta, and Cereal
- FAQs
- FAQs on Bacteria
- What are bacteria?
- How can I avoid getting sick from a bacterial illness?
- How dangerous is a staph infection?
- Can I assume that if food smells bad its unsafe to eat and if it smells ok that it is safe to eat?
- How dangerous is botulism?
- How dangerous is listeria?
- How many types of bacteria are there?
- What foods are likely to be contaminated by listeria?
- What foods can give a person a staph infection?
- What foods can give a person botulism?
- Why do some bacteria make people sick?
- Why does refrigeration keep bacteria from multiplying?
- Can I avoid all contact with bacteria if I’m careful?
- How Many Bacteria Does It Take to Cause Illness?
- FAQs on Cookware
- Are Ceramic and Enamel Cookware Safe and Practical?
- Are Nonstick Coatings on Cookware a Health Risk?
- Do Cast Iron, Glass, Copper, and Titanium Cookware Have Any Disadvantages?
- Does Using Aluminum Cookware Increase the Chances of Developing Alzheimer’s Disease?
- Is Stainless Steel Cookware a Good Choice?
- Is the New Silicone Rubberized Cookware Safe?
- Nonstick Cookware: Is it Dangerous?
- What Brands of Cookware are Recommended by Experts?
- What Features Should I Look for When Selecting Cookware?
- What Should I Know about Selecting and Using Aluminum Cookware?
- FAQs about Definitions
- Exactly what is meant by the phrase perishable food?
- Defining Some Current Language about Food
- What Does the Word “Foodie” Mean? It Depends Who(m) You Ask
- What do “sell by,” “best by/before,” “use by” and “expiration” mean?
- What does the term shelf life mean?
- What's in Our Food? Maybe Processing Aids, Maybe not
- “Fresh,” “Natural,” “Processed”—What Do These Words Mean?
- FAQs on Dropped Food
- FAQs on Farmers' Markets
- Exactly what defines a farmers’ market?
- Farmers' Markets: Why They're So Popular; How to Find One Near Your Home
- How should I handle produce at home?
- What foods are sold with restrictions at a farmers’ market?
- What should I bring to the farmers’ market?
- What shouldn’t I do or eat at a farmers’ market?
- What signs indicate a sanitary farmers’ market?
- What time of day is it best to go to a farmers’ market?
- FAQs on Food-borne Illness and Mishandling of Food
- About how many cases of food-borne illness occur in the U.S. each year?
- Answer Key to “How Much Do You Know about Safe Handling of Food?”
- How Much Do You Know about Safe Handling of Food?
- I Left It Out Too Long! Can I Still Eat It?
- Should Your Grocery Card Track Food-Borne Illnesses?
- Sudden, Awful Intestinal Distress--Is it the Flu or a Foodborne Illness--or Both?
- What YOU Can Do to Avoid Food-borne Illness
- What does the phrase food-borne illness refer to?
- FAQs on Food Product Dating
- Are stores required, by law, to remove outdated items from their shelves?
- Do most consumers actually pay attention to the dating on foods?
- Does the “use by” date matter once the product is frozen?
- Is information on food longevity and safety available by phone?
- What are expiration dates?
- What do the terms closed dating and open dating mean?
- What if there is no date on a product, and I don’t remember if I bought it a month ago or ten years ago?
- What should consumers know about food product dating?
- When Did You Buy It? When Did You Open It?
- When to Throw Food Out? Not on the Use-By Date
- Who establishes these product dates?
- Who requires and regulates dating on foods?
- Why do “best by” and “use by” dates sometimes seem conservative?
- FAQs on Food Safety
- "Is It Safe To….?" FAQs Answered by our Advisory Board
- FAQs about Ground Beef, Seasonings, Olive Oil, Lemon Wedges, and Fish
- FAQs about Mushrooms: Are they Very Dirty or Very Clean?
- FAQs about Soft Cheeses--What's Safe, What Isn't
- FAQs on BPA: the attacks continue, but are they justified?
- FAQs on Food Safety and Nutrition
- FAQs on Raw Fruits and Veggies—the Answers Can Protect Your Wallet and Your Health
- FAQs: Cutting Boards and Kitchen Counters--Selection and Care
- Food Bars/Buffets in Supermarkets--Is the food safe? How can you tell?
- Food/Meat Thermometers—What You Need to Know
- How Long Should Cheese Be Aged? Will the Rules Be Changed?
- How Long Will They REALLY Last? Part I: Non-perishables
- How Long Will They REALLY last? Part II: Perishables
- Imported Foods—What’s Safe, What’s Risky?
- Is It Safe? Is It Nutritious? More Survey Answers from Scientists
- Is It Time to Switch to Pasteurized Eggs?
- Is the Food Safety Modernization Act Making Our Food Supply Safer?
- More FAQs about Minimum Safe Cooking Temperatures: Pork and Other Perishables
- Sushi: Why Such a Short Shelf Life?
- Winter Food Storage—Can I leave It in the Car or in the Garage?
- Would You—Should You—Do You--Eat Irradiated Food?
- FAQs on Food Wrapping
- Are any plastic wraps or containers really “microwave safe”?
- Are some plastic wraps more effective than others?
- Can I refrigerate meat and poultry in its store wrapping?
- Can I use plastic freezer bags to store produce in the fridge?
- Can chemicals leach unto food from plastic wrap or containers?
- Do coated plastic bags really help produce last longer?
- Does aluminum foil give foods a metallic taste?
- Does exposure to aluminum cause Alzheimer’s disease?
- Everything You Need to Know about Wrapping Food Right
- How should fruits be wrapped before refrigeration?
- Is it safe to use aluminum foil in a microwave oven?
- Should I wrap raw vegetables loosely or tightly before refrigerating?
- What are some advantages and disadvantages of aluminum foil?
- What produce needs to be wrapped before refrigerating?
- What’s better for wrapping food—plastic or aluminum foil?
- Why does foil sometimes darken, discolor, and leave black specks on food?
- Will a foil cover help keep foods on the table hot or cold?
- FAQs on Freezing Food
- FAQs on Leftovers
- FAQs on Mold
- What is mold?
- Does mold ever grow on nonperishable food?
- Can I remove a moldy part from food and eat the rest?
- About how many different kinds of molds are there?
- How can I avoid getting mold on my refrigerated food?
- Is mold always visible?
- Are any molds harmless?
- What food groups are most susceptible to mold?
- What kinds of illnesses can result from eating moldy food?
- What kind of packaging protects foods from mold?
- What other safety tips will help prevent mold from growing?
- Why are some molds dangerous?
- FAQs on Organic Food
- What Is Organic Food?
- Are Organic Methods More Humane to Animals?
- Does Conventional Food Have a Longer Shelf Life Than Organic?
- Does Organic Food Taste Better than Conventional Food?
- Is Organic Food More Nutritious Than Conventional Food?
- Is Organically Grown Food Better for the Environment?
- What Do the Various Organic Labels Mean?
- What Important Contributions Has the Organic Movement Made?
- Which Are Safer: Organic or Conventional Food Products?
- Will Organic Baby Food Make Baby Healthier?
- FAQs on Oxidation: How It Affects Foods
- FAQs about Plastic Products Used with Food
- Pyrex® Glassware: Is it safe to use?
- Are plastic bags safe to use in the microwave?
- Are some plastic wraps safer and/or more effective than others?
- Are there any health risks from reusing plastic water bottles by refilling them with tap water?
- Are we eating chemicals from plastics along with our food?
- Can I microwave food in my plastic containers?
- Does the plastic used in water bottles pose a health risk?
- If I heat food in an open can, will that cause the plastic lining to leach chemicals into the food?
- Is it safe to heat frozen entrées in their plastic containers and with their plastic wrap?
- Is it safe to use plastic wrap as a covering when microwaving food?
- Is it safe to wash and dry plastic plates, cups, containers, and utensils in the dishwasher?
- Is there good evidence that BPA is harmful to human health?
- Of the plastic products used to store, heat, or eat with (wraps, bags, containers, silverware, plates, etc.), which contain BPA?
- What is BPA?
- Why is so much of today’s food packaged in plastic?
- FAQs on Preservatives
- What are Preservatives?
- All things considered, is our food supply safer or less safe because of preservatives?
- Are the preservatives in hot dogs and similar products health risks?
- What preservatives are known to cause allergic reactions?
- What are some common preservatives used in food?
- What food groups commonly have preservatives in them?
- Why are preservatives added to food?
- Will the label on the product tell me if it contains a preservative?
- FAQs on Washing Produce: Why and How
- Other FAQs
- Can chicken soup really cure a cold?
- Is Chocolate Good For You?
- Can Science and Technology Help You Save Food Dollars?
- FAQs Answered By Our Board Scientists: on Chickens, Bananas, Old Salad Dressing, and More
- FAQs about Food Price Increases
- FAQs about Products We Use with Food
- FAQs about Shelf Life: Tortillas, Pancakes, Wine, and More
- Food Fraud: Are you paying for scallops and getting shark meat?
- Is Cheese Addictive? Only If You Eat It
- Missing Chickens: Where Have All the Small Ones Gone?
- Nine FAQs about Food Labels
- Quiz Yourself! Check Your Knowledge about Food Temperatures
- Scientists Answer Two FAQs about Egg Safety
- Should Sour Cream and Cottage Cheese Be Stored Upside Down?
- Some Shelf Life Info, General and Specific (Spirits, Defrosted Veggies, Green Tea, and More)
- Syrup from a Tree or from a Lab--Which Should You Pour on Your Pancakes?
- Ten FAQs about the Prickly Pineapple
- What's New in Food? IFT Expo Offers Tasty Innovations
- What's on the Menu in Cuba?
- What’s in My Water? Answers to FAQs
- What will you be dining on this year? Here are predictions from folks in the know
- FAQs on Bacteria
- Tips
- Books: Food for Thought
- Food Safety
- It Says "Use By Tomorrow," But You Don't Have To
- Ten Tips for Consumer Food Safety
- Food Allergies: Recognizing and Controlling Them
- “Is It Spoiled?” When in Doubt, Check It Out
- How To Keep Your Cooler Cool
- Recent Recalls: Salmonella Threatens 100s of Products
- STOP! Don’t Rinse That Raw Chicken!
- Sous Vide—A Better Way to Cook?
- Why You Need a Safe Cooking Temperature Chart and How to Get One Right Now
- “Myth-information” about Food Safety: You’d Better Not Believe It
- After The Storm: What You Can Save and What You Must Throw Out
- How to Protect Your Food During a Power Outage
- Meet Your Beef--Via Bar Code Info
- Organic Food, GMOs, the Safety of American Food, the Value of Use-By Dates, and More--Scientists Tell Us What They Think
- Raw chicken, Leftovers, Deli Meats, and More-- What Surveyed Scientists Said
- Tips About 4 Popular Beverages: Wine, Coffee, Water, and Soda
- Tips on Reheating for Safe, Yummy Leftovers
- Tips on Water Safety During and After a Storm
- Introducing our Advisory Board Scientists
- Produce: Handling Tips
- Seasonal Tips
- A Novel Method for Cooking a Turkey
- Crock Pot Cooking Tips for that Ideal Winter Dinner
- Cucumbers: for Cool--and "Cool"--Summer Treats
- Going Away for All or Part of the Winter? Prepare Your Kitchen for your Absence
- How To Grill Safely During the Summer
- How do summer squash and winter squash differ?
- New Year’s Resolutions For a Safer Kitchen
- Preserve the Taste of Summer by Canning—But Do It Safely
- Summer Food Fests Offer Much More than Calories
- Summer Party Tips: Baby Carrots (Using for Dips) Hot Dogs (Ditching the Guilt), and Watermelon (Finding a Ripe One)
- Tailgating: How to Do It Right
- Tips on Keeping Your Summer Fruits Flavorful and Healthy
- Shelf Life Tips
- A Food App You're Apt to Like; A Brand-New Invention for Getting Shelf-Life Information
- Battling the Ripening of Bananas
- Food Preservation--Low-tech Past, High-Tech Present and Future
- From Purchase to Storage, Tips on Extending Shelf Life
- Pesto: Ingredients, Uses, Shelf Life, Contamination, and More
- Shelf Life of Foods: What You Need to Know
- Shellfish and Shelf Life Aid from the Canadian Maritime Provinces
- Tips for Carry-along Lunches for Work and School
- Tips for Freezing Food and Freezer Care
- Cooking Frozen Foods
- Freezers And Food Safety
- Freezers And Freezer Burn
- Freezers And Nutrient Retention
- How Often Should You Defrost And Clean Your Freezer?
- How To Defrost And Clean Your Freezer
- How To Defrost Frozen Foods
- How To Freeze Foods: The Quicker The Better
- How To Wrap Foods For The Freezer
- Refreezing Frozen Foods
- What You Can Freeze And What You Can't--Or Shouldn't
- Tips About Genetically Engineered Foods
- Tips for Grocery Shopping
- Tips for Holidays
- Answers to Questions about Thanksgiving Dinner
- Chocolate Is Even More Healthful Than You Thought
- Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day Without Cabbage Stink
- Everything You Need to Know about Cranberry Sauce
- Food-Related Gifts Recommended by Experts (2014)
- Halloween Treats Even Parents Will Love
- Kitchen Gifts that Really Please
- Kitchen Gifts that Really Work
- Our 2016 List of Gifts To Please Every Cook
- Spring Celebrations: What’s on Your Menu?
- Suggestions for Handling Your Child’s “Trick or Treat” Treasures
- Tips for Winter Holiday Meals
- What NOT to Do With Thanksgiving Dinner
- Yikes! The Turkey Is Done, But the Guests Are Delayed! How Do I Keep My Thanksgiving Dinner Warm?
- Tips on Kitchen Equipment
- Tips for Refrigerating Food and Refrigerator Care
- Food Safety Facts
- How To Clean The Refrigerator
- How To Wrap Foods For Refrigeration
- How long can a pie be left unrefrigerated?
- Power Outage? Here’s What to Do with All That Food in the Fridge
- Proper Handling Of Produce In The Crisper(s)
- Proper Refrigeration Placement Of Raw Meat, Chicken, And Fish
- Six Tips for Extending the Shelf Life of Foods
- What Can and Can't Go In The Fridge Door
- Other Tips
- Microwave Cooking
- The 10 Most Dangerous Foods To Consume While Driving
- Are Your Kids Home Alone after School? Educate Them about Snacking
- Clever Inventions That Can Change Eating Habits
- Coffee, Juice, and Food in Central America
- Eggies™ to the Rescue?
- Ever Eaten “Glued” Food?
- Food Definitions: Umami, Locavore, Fruit, Heirloom, and Artisan
- Hot Dogs: What You Should Know about Them
- If You Don't Know Beans about Beans...
- In Defense of Processed Food
- Kids and Cooking: A Good Combo
- New Uses for Old Food: Try 'Em Out!
- Organic Farming and Organic Food: What Are the Benefits?
- Our Board Scientists Talk about 2015 Food Trends
- Portabella Mushrooms and Their Relatives: How to Handle Them
- Ten Exotic Fruits: Novel Treats to Drink and Eat
- Tips on Fishing and on Selecting Healthful Fish
- Tips on Making Food Appealing, Food Safety and BPA (again)
- Tofu: Water Regularly, Consume Promptly
- Want to get some/all of your protein from plants? We'll tell you what's tasty
- What This Site Is All About and How to Navigate It
- What We're Eating This Year: Ancient Grains, Coconut Oil, Kale, and More
- About Us
- In the News
- Food Trends For 2019
- Media
Why Trans Fats Are Back in the News Again, and Why You Should Care
What has inspired a rash of recent articles about trans fats, specifically the partially hydrogenated types (which is what most of them are)? Exactly what are artificial trans fats? What foods are they in, and why should we avoid eating them? These and related questions are answered below by the FDA, food scientist Dr. Karin Allen, 2 university newsletters, Consumer Reports, and a Chicago Tribune article.
What made artificial trans fats newsworthy this summer?
In June, the FDA announced the removal of partially hydrogenated trans oils (commonly referred to as PHOs) from its list of ingredients that are" generally recognized as safe" (GRAS). This decision will, eventually "eliminate artificial trans fats in foods," says the University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter. However, manufacturers have until 2018 to find replacements for these products. As the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter points out in its timeline of trans fat discovery, ascendancy, and demise, the FDA first proposed this ban in 2013. It take quite awhile for FDA concerns to translate into decisive action. After making a proposal, the FDA allows a lengthy period allowed for industry and the public to respond and object.
Why have most trans fats been banned?
Karin Allen gives these good reasons: "Trans fats have been linked to increased rates
of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. The FDA estimates that this move [the ban] could “prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths each year.”
The Tufts Letter quotes this Institute of Medicine 2002 comment: There is "no safe level of trans fatty acids and people should eat as little of them as possible." These are worse for the human diet than saturated fats because trans fat increases bad cholesterol (LDL) but--unlike saturated fat-- does not increase good cholesterol (HDL).
What is the history of trans fats and the irony involved in their story?
Their discovery and development goes back more than 100 years, but they became popular during World War II due to shortages of other fats. Then, in the 1960s, they were promoted as a healthier alternative to butter and lard. However, in the 1990s, scientists detected a serious problem: though trans fatty acids are unsaturated, they raise cholesterol levels. In 2006, the FDA announced a trans fat labeling requirement on foods so that consumers would, at least, be informed if this harmful ingredient was in a particular item they were considering for purchase. At long last, this summer, the FDA banned PHOs. They "cannot be sold or used as ingredients in foods after June 2018," Dr. Allen says.
In the U.S., some cities--including NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia--have banned PHOs in restaurants and bakeries, as has the state of California. Many other countries also have PHO bans.
Exactly what is a PHO?
Most of the trans fats in our foods are artificial products, commercially created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils. This change makes them solid at room temperature and increases their shelf life, according to the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter.
So what is done "partially" to give us the "P" in "PHO"? Dr. Allen explains: "If the hydrogenation reaction is stopped part way through, a mixture of trans unsaturated fats and fully saturated fats is obtained. This results in a soft, spreadable, solid fat or semi-solid slushy oil. These products... contain a large amount of trans fats.
If the hydrogenation reaction is allowed to finish, a completely saturated, very hard fat is made. These products are called fully hydrogenated oils (FHOs), and contain only a very small amount of trans fat. The FDA has not banned FHOs."
Why is replacing PHOs a problem for some manufacturers and some home cooks?
Dr. Allen says, "PHOs were very useful in many ways, and replacing them in some products will be a difficult task. The trans fats in PHOs give baked goods a crispy, fluffy texture; they can be used to keep frostings from melting; and they keep many fried foods from feeling oily. But food companies have been working for years to find good replacements. Since 2006, when the FDA required that trans fat be listed on nutrition facts panels, there has been a large reduction in the amount of trans fats used in commercial products. For example, Crisco® shortening was reformulated in January 2007 so it contained less trans fat. This was done by blending oil, PHOs, and FHOs to create a similar product that still works in most home recipes. However, like many other shortenings, margarines, and spreads, the newer version of Crisco® still contains PHOs. All of these products must be reformulated again by June 2018 so they no longer contain PHOs.
"Most likely, we will see PHO‐free ingredients like shortening come to market first. Foods containing PHOs as an ingredient will be reformulated once a good replacement can be found.
"Home cooks may soon notice that some recipes don’t work as well using the new, PHO‐free shortenings. ... it is difficult to predict how these products will work. But because so many people have been trying to remove trans fats from their diets in recent years, many cookbooks and online baking forums have already given helpful suggestions."
What will the likely substitutes be for artificial trans fats?
None of the probable replacements will be problem-free. Consumer Reports mentions says that, according to the Grocery manufacturers Association, some companies are likely to switch to switch to one of these:
palm oil and palm kernel oil: These might be used alone or mixed with liquid canola, sunflower, or soybean oil. But "both palm and palm kernel oils are high in saturated fat, which raises bad cholesterol levels."
soybeans: "Some companies are developing soybeans--through conventional crossbreeding as well as by genetic engineering in a lab." These products will be lower in saturated fat than most trans-fat alternatives, but they may also lead to health and environmental problems and will have no GMO labeling, says Consumer Reports.
Are there trans fats that occur naturally in some foods?
Yes, says Dr. Allen, some occur in mammals that are food for humans and in dairy products. Trans fats can also be created--but only in small amounts--when oil is heated to a high temperature during normal cooking or processing.
The major source of natural trans fats in our diets is whole milk and meat fat, says the Tufts Letter.
How much PHO is still in foods? Which foods? How can consumers tell?
Since the FDA required labeling of trans fats, the amount in our foods has decreased about 80%, says the Tufts Letter. However, it is still used by manufacturers of some products, especially to make these products: "cake frostings, microwave popcorn, frozen pizzas, and other entrées, baked goods, fried foods, coffee creamers, and even chewing gum. " Here's the FDA list of foods that may contain PHOs:
- crackers, cookies, cakes, frozen pies and other baked goods
- snack foods (such as some microwave popcorn)
- stick margarines
- coffee creamers
- refrigerated dough products (such as biscuits and cinnamon rolls)
- ready-to-use frostings [Note: When I checked the nutrition labels on frosting containers on my supermarket shelf, I found the Betty Crocker brand, which said "0 trans fat" and Jewel/Osco's Essential brand, which contained 1.5 grams.]
Here are some specific products that the Chicago Tribune lists which contain more than 0.5 gram per portion: Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen's fries (3.5 g) and Marie Callender's frozen Razzleberry Pie (3.5 g). Jiffy Pop's butter popcorn has 10.5 grams in one of its stove-top popping pans. How do these relate to a healthy diet? According to the Chicago Tribune, the American Heart Association recommends less than 2 grams of trans fat per day in a 2,000-calorie diet.
In cities where PHOs are allowed, some restaurants use them for frying.
Consumers should be told that "0 trans fat" doesn't actually mean no trans fat. The nutrition label on foods can say "0 trans fat" even when the food has a small amount of trans fat. That's because the FDA allows this if the amount is small, less than 0.5 grams per serving. The University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter points out that even this small amount of artificial fats "can add up if you eat more than one serving, which is easy to do since standard serving sizes are usually small. You may also eat several foods with small amounts of trans fats throughout the day....It's hard to avoid all trans fats, but eat as little as possible--foods that contain them are generally not the most healthful anyway."
To find out if an edible item contains industrially-made trans fat, check the list of ingredients for the words "partially hydrogenated oil/ shortening)."
How much trans fat do most Americans eat?
The FDA estimated that it was about 1 gram daily in 2012, down from 4.6 grams in 2003.
One of many reasons that Maurice Lenell (makers of the ubiquitous girl scout cookies) went out of business was because the FDA and the company's customers were urging them to eliminate PHOs, and the company felt those were essential to maintain the high quality of the product.
Acknowledgment:
Our thanks to Dr. Karin Allen (a member of our Shelf Life Advice Advisory Board) for granting us permission to quote extensively from her fact sheet "Partially Hydrogenated Oils and Trans Fats, Information for Consumer": http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/extension_curall/749/
The above link will take you to much more information on the science behind the various fats in our diets and the search for good PHO replacements.
Source(s):
Karin E. Allen, Ph.D., Utah State University, Dept. of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences
"Partially Hydrogenated Oils and Trans Fats, Information for Consumers"
fda.gov "FDA Cuts Trans Fat in Processed Foods"
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm372915.htm
Chicago Tribune, Business section "Final Days Ahead for Trans Fats," June28, 2015.
Chicago Tribune, "A Chicago cookie tradition crumbles" August 14, 2015.
Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, "What Does the Trans Fat Ban Mean to You?" September 2015.
University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, "Ask the Experts" column, September 2015.
Consumer Reports, "FDA to Manufacturers: Cut the Fat," October, 2015.