Food for thought: Food Labels i.e. trans fats

[ljeanbeans]

I took an applied chemistry class in college and I graduated in 2008. I remember learning that hydrogenated oils are trans fats. During that same period of time food labels were getting proud to announce that they were i.e. all natural. I picked up a container of something at the grocery store labeled no trans fat and looked at the ingredients. It had hydrogenated oil. Food labels lie sometimes. How are we to always know?

[Erinne]

No trans fats, or 0 grams trans fats? They can make a serving size just small enough that it doesn't have a full gram and then say 0 grams. Totally sucks, but you just have to read everything.

[mysticmomma1879]

Partially hydrogenated = transfat. Not hydrogenated.

[jbug_4]

Originally Posted by mysticmomma1879 Partially hydrogenated = transfat. Not hydrogenated.

This.

And if there is less than .5g of trans fat it can be labeled as 0g of trans fat. Seems like I have read somewhere that if you look at the fat section on the label and add it up, If it doesn't add up to the total fat number then you have trans fat. I believe that even though they can mark it has 0g they still have to reflect it in the total fat. but its by increments of .5g and I believe they are allowed to round. So .2 could be rounded down to 0 in the total fat. We don't buy anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils so i can't actually look at a label to check it out.

Still got to read the ingredients to get the full picture.

[Minniebees]

The FDA is trying to put through new rules that will have nutrition information per serving, and per package. Obviously certain corporation and political parties are trying to block it, but I think it would be really useful.

I think they can consider trans fat as natural, because fats are natural. Something unnatural to the food industry is something like artificial food colors and flavors.

[ljeanbeans]

hydrogenated fats are fats artificially infused with extra hydrogen molecules that our bodies my professor says our bodies then identify as free radicalsd

[PBAki]

Originally Posted by ljeanbeans hydrogenated fats are fats artificially infused with extra hydrogen molecules that our bodies my professor says our bodies then identify as free radicalsd

Yep. When broken down they only do nothing but raise your LDL and triglycerides. It should be avoided like the plague with so many negative consequences aside from plaque buildup in arteries.

The problem with these nutrition labels too is that FDA gives manufacturers an error rate of 120% for fats, sugar, cholesterol, sodium, etc. If the foods were tested in a lab to have 18g of fat for example, in theory they can slap a label of 15g ((18/15)*100) which is 3g difference but still be in compliance. That's 24 calories in fat that's unaccounted for. It may not seem like much but all those missing calories do eventually add up when we're talking something that can have negative effect on the body.

There just isn't a way for consumers to really know what's in the ingredients other than sticking to foods that are whole or basically producing your own. It's very disturbing.

Now 'corn sugar' is used instead of high fructose corn syrup. The misleading label like "Made with natural ingredients" but still contain enough artificial ingredients because they know people will just put a lot of faith in the cover of the product; not the actual label.

[Kiliki]

I always get so irritated when I think of these things.

It seems impossible to eat well without eating ONLY whole, organic foods. Which costs a lot more than we can afford.

I hate hate HATE hate HATE how the companies put misleading labels on stuff, or change the names of ingredients to "sound better" than they actually ARE. "Corn sugar" doesn't sound nearly as bad as "High fructose corn syrup" does it? :headbang:

[Rdesonia]

Originally Posted by ljeanbeans hydrogenated fats are fats artificially infused with extra hydrogen molecules that our bodies my professor says our bodies then identify as free radicalsd

DH is a chemist. I am "NOT ALLOWED" to buy any hydrogenated oils or things that contain them. He says because a human body can't process them. We use olive oil,butter, or animal fat (like bacon grease-yum!). Margarine is not allowed in the house. It's probably one of the very few health things he actually cares about.

*DH has super low Cholesterol. And I have good cholesterol levels.

[photocat]

Originally Posted by Rdesonia DH is a chemist. I am "NOT ALLOWED" to buy any hydrogenated oils or things that contain them. He says because a human body can't process them. We use olive oil,butter, or animal fat (like bacon grease-yum!). Margarine is not allowed in the house. It's probably one of the very few health things he actually cares about. *DH has super low Cholesterol. And I have good cholesterol levels.

Hehe, my MIL brought margarine on a family camping trip; when my boys found out what it was, my 7 yr old ds literally recoiled from it in horror

Another labeling trick I've noticed is MSG is never listed as such, it's always down as 621, so if you don't know your additive numbers, you wouldn't know.