New food labels help consumers avoid unhealthy fats

They can clog your arteries and contribute to raising your cholesterol levels, and now trans fats need to be listed on all food labels, under a new requirement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Trans fats are formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats. They can be found in such food products as vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils increase the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats.

Scientific evidence shows that consumption of saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol raises “bad” cholesterol levels that increase the risk of coronary heart disease. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 12.5 million Americans suffer from this type of heart disease, and more than 500,000 die each year.

Since 1993, the FDA has required that saturated fat and dietary cholesterol be listed on food labels. Now, beginning this year, trans fats need to be added to food packaging.

By adding trans fat on the “Nutrition Facts” panel of food labels, consumers now can see how much of all three—saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol—are in the foods they choose. Identifying these ingredients gives consumers information to make healthy food choices that help them reduce their risk of heart disease.

“We are empowering Americans to make healthier choices about the foods they eat. By putting trans fat information on food labels, we are making it possible for consumers to make better educated choices to lower their intake of these unhealthy fats and cholesterol,” said Tommy G. Thompson, who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services when the new trans fat labeling requirement was approved.

Fat is a major source of energy for the body and aids in the absorption of certain vitamins. When eaten in moderation, fat is important for proper growth, development, and maintenance of good health. As a food ingredient, fat provides taste, consistency and stability and helps us feel full.

In addition, parents should be aware that fats are an especially important source of calories and nutrients for infants and toddlers (up to 2 years of age), who have the highest energy needs per unit of body weight of any age group.

It is advisable to choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as part of a healthful diet. Experts recommend that you keep your intake of these nutrients as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally adequate diet. However, eliminating these three components entirely is not practical because they are unavoidable in ordinary diets.

Consumers are being urged to choose alternative fats by replacing saturated and trans fats in their diets with monoand polyunsaturated fats. These fats do not raise “bad” cholesterol levels and have health benefits when eaten in moderation.

The FDA also is advising shoppers to opt for vegetable oils (except coconut and palm kernel oils) and soft margarines more often because the amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol in those products are lower than the amounts in solid shortenings, hard margarines and animal fats, including butter. Not all the food labels on supermarket shelves will show trans fats levels yet, as packages produced before the start of the year continue to make their way through grocery supply chains.

This story provided by StatePoint Media.