Trans Fat

Unlike other fats, Trans fats are neither required nor beneficial for health. Eating Trans fat increases the risk of coronary heart disease. For these reasons, health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of Trans fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are generally considered to be more of a health risk than those occurring naturally.

Trans fats are tightly regulated in a few countries, are mandatory on product labels in many others, and are the central issue in several ongoing lawsuits (particularly against fast food outlets). Many companies are voluntarily removing Trans fats from their products, or establishing trans-free product lines.

Chemically, Trans fats are made of the same building blocks as non-trans fats, but have a different shape. In trans fat molecules, the double bonds between carbon atoms (characteristic of all unsaturated fats) are in the trans rather than the cis configuration, resulting in a straighter, rather than a kinked shape. As a result, Trans fats are less fluid and have a higher melting point than the corresponding cis fats.

Food products made with fats or oils with a high proportion of Trans fatty acids have a longer shelf life than products made with oils that contain a higher proportion of other fatty acids. Trans fatty acids also play a role in producing the textures and flavors that make many bakery products and snacks so tempting. For example, it is the Trans fatty acids that give pastries that "melt in your mouth" feeling.

Some of the nation's leading medical researchers also believe that the Trans fat that marbles the modern diet may be why kids are so fat, diabetes is at record levels and why some people develop cancer. They say Trans fat is a big player in Syndrome X, a cluster of health problems characterized by a beer belly, high blood pressure and out-of-whack blood fats and sugars.

"There should be a warning on food made with this stuff like there is on nicotine products. It's that bad for you," says Dr. Jeffrey Aron, a University of California at San Francisco professor of medicine and one of the nation's leading experts on fatty acids and their effects on the body.
But there is no warning label. Trans fat amounts aren't regulated at all, so manufacturers and fast food operators don't have to list it on nutrition labels. That means there's no easy way to know how much you're eating.

"As the science has evolved related to Trans fat, of course the industry is looking to different sources and re-engineering and reformulating products," says Bob Earl, senior director for nutrition policy and regulatory affairs for the National Food Processors Association.

New, lower-fat margarines are being marketed as Trans fat-free. Oil processors are mixing super-hard, trans-free hydrogenated oils with liquid oil to make a suitable replacement. Nutritionists are revisiting tropical palm and coconut oils, which may not be as bad as once thought and could actually have cancer-fighting properties.

Top nutritionists at Harvard have stated as follows:
"By our most conservative estimate, replacement of partially hydrogenated fat in the U.S. diet with natural unhydrogenated vegetable oils would prevent approximately 30,000 premature coronary deaths per year, and epidemiologic evidence suggests this number is closer to 100,000 premature deaths annually."
30,000 to 100,000 premature deaths each year means between 82 and 274 each day!

I have one fast food weakness: McDonald's fries. Thin, crispy strips of salted goodness. I can forgo most of the other fast food offerings, but no matter which diet I happen to be on or how much I may want to avoid carbs, that is one that keeps me coming back for more. The good news is, McDonald's has finally selected a new trans-fat-free oil blend, so we will be able to eat them with a little less guilt. Apparently the oil is already being tested in select markets, but they have kept quiet on which locations have so far made the switch.

McDonald's had tested over 50 blends before settling on a canola-based, corn and soy oil mixture. Obviously, one of their largest concerns was finding a product that maintained the same flavor in the cooked fries. Eventually all of the 13,500+ locations across the U.S. will use the new oil, but a date has not yet been specified.

KFC announced yesterday that they intended to begin eliminating trans-fats from their recipes, starting with their famous fried chicken. Over the course of the next 6-8 months, by April of 2007, all KFC stores will switch to using a non-hydrogenated cooking oil, although some locations already use it. If this seems like a minor change, consider that one extra-crispy chicken breast (is there any other kind worth going to KFC for?) has 4.5 grams of trans fat!

The process of testing the recipes has taken the company about two years. Even though the partially hydrogenated oil that they currently use does not really contribute to the product in terms of flavor, it does produce a superior crispness that lasts longer than some other oils. The company did not want to put out a product that would not live up to their consumers' expectations - even if it was healthier. They will be using low linolenic soybean oil. Other fast food companies, including Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, which are also owned by KFC's parent company, Yum Brands Inc., say that they are looking into replacing partially hydrogenated oils on their menus, as well.

KFC fans should take note that there will still be a few things on the menu that will not be trans-fat free, namely their biscuits, macaroni and cheese and baked goods.

The origins of the modern process of catalytic hydrogenation are found in the early 1800s. In the following sections we will introduce a number of references which do not mention soy oil, but which are important to understanding hydrogenation. Those which are not cited in our bibliography have the symbol following the author or date. Each of these is cited in references cited in our bibliography, and often noted at the end of the paragraph.
The earliest known use of the term "hydrogenate" was by Sir Humphrey Davy in 1809, in the sense of a substance combining with hydrogen, but not in the presence of a catalyst. The first scientific observation of a catalytic transformation (one that occurs because of the presence of a catalyst, which is not itself altered by the reaction) seems to be in 1811, when Kirchoff showed that mineral acids in hot water solution change starch to dextrin and sugar without being themselves altered by the reaction. In 1817 Davy observed the catalytic action of platinum in a gas. In 1845 Berzelius in his masterful Treatise on Chemistry discussed these phenomena and first applied the term "catalytic" to them. He pointed out that this was an important yet largely unrecognized type of chemical reaction. The first recorded catalytic hydrogenation of an organic compound was by Debus in 1863; he produced methylamine by passing the vapor of hydrocyanic acid, mixed with hydrogen, over platinum black (Ellis 1930).

Milk and meat from cows and other ruminants contains naturally occurring Trans fats in small quantities. Trans fats occur naturally in the milk and body fat of ruminants (such as cows and sheep) at a level of 2-5% of total fat Natural Trans fats, which include conjugated linoleic acid and vaccenic acid, originate in the rumens of these animals. Animal-based fats were once the only Trans fats consumed, but by far the largest amount of Trans fat consumed today is created by the processed food industry as a side-effect of partially hydrogenating unsaturated plant fats (generally vegetable oils). These hydrogenated fats have displaced natural solid fats and liquid oils in many areas, notably in the fast food, snack food, fried food and baked good industries.

Partially hydrogenated oils are attractive to food manufacturers for several reasons. Partial hydrogenation reduces rancidity and consequently increases product shelf life and decreases refrigeration requirements. Because baking requires semi-solid fats, partially hydrogenated oils can replace the animal fats traditionally used by bakers (such as butter and lard); they are also a readily available alternative to semi-solid tropical oils such as palm oil. Because partially hydrogenated plant oils can replace animal fats, the resulting products can be consumed (barring other ingredient and preparation violations) by adherents to Kashrut (kosher) and Halal, as well as by adherents to vegetarianism in Buddhism, ahimsa in Jainism and Hinuism, veganism, and other forms of vegetarianism.

Foods containing artificial Trans fats formed by partially hydrogenating plant fats may contain up to 45% trans fat compared to their total fat. Baking shortenings generally contain 30% Trans fats compared to their total fats, while animal equivalents such as butter and lard contain 3%. Those margarines not reformulated to reduce Trans fats may contain up to 15% Trans fat by weight.

It has been established that Trans fats in human milk fluctuate with maternal consumption of trans fat, and that the amount of trans fats in the bloodstream of breastfed infants fluctuates with the amounts found in their milk. Reported percentages of Trans (compared to total fats) in human milk range from 1% in Spain, 2% in France and 4% in Germany to 7% in Canada.

Trans fats are also found in shortenings commonly used for deep frying in restaurants. In the past, the decreased rancidity of partially hydrogenated oils meant that they could be reused for a longer time than conventional oils. Recently, however, non-hydrogenated vegetable oils have become available that have lifespan exceeding that of the frying shortenings. As fast food chains routinely use different fats in different locations, Trans fat levels in products can have large variation. For example, an analysis of samples of McDonald's french fries collected in 2004 and 2005 found that fries served in New York City contained twice as much trans fat as in Hungary, and 28 times as much trans fat as in Denmark (where trans fats are restricted). At KFC, the pattern was reversed with Hungary's product containing twice the Trans fat of the New York product. Even within the US there was variation, with fries in New York containing 30% more Trans fat than those from Atlanta.

Trans fatty acids (TFA) are unsaturated fatty acids that have at least one double bond in the trans configuration. Some polyunsaturated TFA have a conjugated structure (e.g. conjugated linoleic acid [CLA] in milk fat), i.e. have double bonds which are not separated by a methylene group, but most have isolated (non-conjugated) double bonds.

While most unsaturated fatty acids in foods have the cis configuration, TFA are also present. TFA in foods originate from three main sources:
- bacterial transformation of unsaturated fatty acids in the rumen of ruminant animals;
- industrial hydrogenation (used to produce semi-solid and solid fats that can be used for the production of foods such as margarines, shortenings, and biscuits) and deodorization (a necessary step in refining) of unsaturated vegetable oils (or occasionally fish oils) high in polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- during heating and frying of oils at high temperatures.

A large number of TFA isomers of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, including positional isomers of individual fatty acids, occur in foods. In fat of ruminant milk and meat products the main TFA are isomers of the monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, with vaccenic acid (18:1t, n-7) predominating (about 30-50% of total trans-18:1 isomers in milk fat). However, Trans isomers of other monounsaturated fatty acids (e.g. 14:1 and 16:1) as well as of polyunsaturated fatty acids (18:2 and 18:3) also occur. In foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils the main TFA are also isomers of oleic acid, with elaidic acid (18:1t, n-9) accounting for typically 20-30% of total trans-18:1 isomers and vaccenic acid 10-20%. The TFA profiles of ruminant fat and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils show considerable overlap with many TFA isomers in common, although present in different proportions; proportions of TFA isomers also vary among different hydrogenated oils. Partially hydrogenated fish oils also contain Trans 20:1 and 22:1 isomers.

Dairy and beef fat typically contains around 3-6% TFA (wt. % of total fatty acids), while levels in lamb and mutton can be somewhat higher. The TFA content in margarines and fat spreads may vary considerably, depending on the proportion of partially hydrogenated oils used. Data from the TRANSFAIR study carried out in 14 European countries during 1995-96 showed that soft spreads generally had TFA contents ranging from below 1% up to 17%, while hard stick margarines contained somewhat higher levels.

Data from more recent analyses show that TFA levels in most edible fats are below 1-2%. In many cases this reduction has been accompanied by an increased level of saturated fatty acids (SFA). The TFA content of bakery products (rusks, crackers, pies, pirogues, cookies, biscuits, wafers etc), as well as some breakfast cereals with added fat, French fries, soup powders and some sweets and snack products, may vary considerably (from below 1% up to 30% of total fatty acids) depending on the type of fat used. Vegetable oils and liquid margarines have a low proportion of TFA, usually below 1%.

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils have been an increasingly significant part of the human diet for about 100 years (particularly so in the latter half of the 20th century), and some deleterious effects of Trans fat consumption are scientifically accepted, forming the basis of the health guidelines discussed above.
The exact biochemical methods by which Trans fats produce specific health problems are a topic of continuing research. For example, the mechanisms through which Trans fats contribute to coronary heart disease are fairly well understood, while the mechanism for Trans fat's effect on diabetes is under investigation.

Nature has been generous in endowing palm oil with a composition that is uniquely balanced between the saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Even when programming this higher level of saturates in the oil, nature's consideration for optimization was already apparent - the biology of the oil palm dictates that this saturate be in the form of palmitic acid (C16:0), the same saturated fatty acid that is most abundant in our body and throughout most of nature's creations. As if further serious thought was given to this composition by nature, most of the palmitic acid in palm oil is placed within the triglyceride molecule on the Sn 1 and 3 positions. This is in stark contrast to palmitic acid from animal sources that is predominantly placed in the Sn 2 position.

Within the modern concept of optimum nutrition, and in a food based environment that is reflected by highly processed foods, palm oil should have been rated higher by the nutrition gurus of this world. Unfortunately, the â%u20AC%u0153fat-worldâ%u20AC is overwhelmed by a predominance of how unhealthy saturated fats are and how these are implicated in a number of degenerative diseases, including Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Dietary recommendations are thus numerous, with many authoritative recommendations targeting lower and lower levels of saturated fat intake even when it is obvious that such efforts would be futile since product functionality and consumer acceptance are often significantly compromised.

The story behind palm oil is indeed a classical case study. Publications in the science and lay press were highly successful in convincing the often uninformed consumer that saturated fat consumption must be lowered to reduce increasing CHD risk. There was much merit in these concepts but the down side was the fact that the type of saturates was never differentiated from each other especially if they were of plant or animal origin. In the 1980s, palm oil as a food commodity oil began making significant inroads into the marketplace, often at the expense of soybean oil. The anti-palm, anti-tropical oil campaign that popped its ugly head in the mid-1980s created the scare tactics that resulted in the removal of palm oil from many food applications, especially those of solid fat formulations. The anti-palm oil campaign is now openly acknowledged as a commercial ploy by the competing oils against palm oil so that they could take advantage of the marketplace. The void left by palm oil was flooded by the use of partially hydrogenated oils and fats that were often touted to be far more heart healthy than the palm oil components that they so effectively replaced. This indeed signaled the rapid increase of trans fatty acids in our foods and recorded peak levels of consumption in North American and Europe during these periods. These trends were often fueled by health messages that sought to position polyunsaturated margarines and related fat formulations as the healthy alternative to saturated "tropical oils" despite higher content of Trans fatty acids (TFA).

Coronary heart disease
The primary health risk identified for Trans fat consumption is an elevated risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). A comprehensive review of studies of Trans fats was published in 2006 in the New England Journal of Medicine that concludes that there is a strong and reliable connection between trans fat consumption and CHD.

The major evidence for the effect of Trans fat on CHD comes from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) - a cohort study that has been following 120,000 female nurses since its inception in 1976.

Hu and colleagues analyzed data from 900 coronary events from the NHS population during 14 years of follow-up. He determined that a nurse's CHD risk roughly doubled (relative risk of 1.94, CI: 1.43 to 2.61) for each 2% increase in Trans fat calories consumed (instead of carbohydrate calories). By contrast, it takes more than a 15% increase in saturated fat calories (instead of carbohydrate calories) to produce a similar increase in risk. Eating non-trans unsaturated fats instead of carbohydrates reduces the risk of CHD rather than increasing it.

Hu also reports on the benefits of reducing Trans fat consumption. Replacing 2% of food energy from Trans fat with non-trans unsaturated fats more than halves the risk of CHD (53%). By comparison, replacing a larger 5% of food energy from saturated fat with non-trans unsaturated fats reduces the risk of CHD by 43%.

According to Steen Stender of Gentoffe University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark has seen a 20% drop in deaths from heart disease since the country's 2003 ban. Another study considered deaths due to CHD, with consumption of trans fats being linked to an increase in mortality, and consumption of polyunsaturated fats being linked to a decrease in mortality.

There are two accepted tests that measure an individual's risk for coronary heart disease, both blood tests. The first considers ratios of two types of cholesterol, the other the amount of a cell-signaling cytokine called C-reactive protein. The ratio test is more accepted, while the cytokine test may be more powerful but is still being studied. The effect of Trans fat consumption has been documented on each as follows:

* Cholesterol ratio: This ratio compares the levels of LDL (so-called "bad" cholesterol) to HDL (so-called "good" cholesterol). Trans fat behaves like saturated fat by raising the level of LDL, but unlike saturated fat it has the additional effect of decreasing levels of HDL. The net increase in LDL/HDL ratio with Trans fat is approximately double that due to saturated fat. (Higher ratios are worse.)

* C-reactive protein (CRP): A study of over 700 nurses showed that those in the highest quartile of Trans fat consumption had blood levels of CRP that were 73% higher than those in the lowest quartile.

Other effects
There has been suggestion that the negative consequences of Trans fat consumption go beyond the cardiovascular risk. In general, there is much less scientific consensus that eating Trans fat specifically increases the risk of other chronic health problems:

* Cancer: There is no scientific consensus that consumption of Trans fats significantly increases cancer risks across the board. The American Cancer Society states that a relationship between trans fats and cancer "has not been determined." However, one recent study has found connections between Trans fat and prostate cancer.

* Diabetes: There is a growing concern that the risk of type 2 diabetes increases with Trans fat consumption. However, consensus has not been reached. For example, one study found that risk is higher for those in the highest quartile of Trans fat consumption. Another study has found no diabetes risk once other factors such as total fat intake and BMI were accounted for.

* Obesity: Research indicates that Trans fat may increase weight gain and abdominal fat, despite a similar caloric intake. A 6-year experiment revealed that monkeys fed a trans-fat diet gained 7.2% of their body weight, as compared to 1.8% for monkeys on a mono-unsaturated fat diet. Although obesity is frequently linked to trans fat in the popular media, this is generally in the context of eating too many calories; there is no scientific consensus connecting trans fat and obesity.

* Liver Dysfunction: Trans fats are metabolized differently by the liver than other fats and interfere with delta 6 desaturase. Delta 6 desaturase is an enzyme involved in converting essential fatty acids to arachidonic acid and prostaglandins, both of which are important to the functioning of cells.

* Fertility: A study found, "Each 2% increase in the intake of energy from trans unsaturated fats, as opposed to that from carbohydrates, was associated with a 73% greater risk of ovulatory infertility

The best way to minimize the risk of adverse health effects related to trans fat is to reduce your intake of foods that contain trans fatty acid

* Avoid commercially fried foods and high-fat bakery products unless they are identified as being reduced in or free of trans fat.

* Follow the suggestions in Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. The Guide advises you to choose lower fat dairy products, leaner meats and foods prepared ith little or no fat.

* Read the labels on pre-packaged food products. Since December 2005, it has been mandatory for most foods to list on the "Nutrition Facts" table the amount of trans fat in the product. Also, look for the phrase "partially hydrogenated oil." If you see this phrase in the list of ingredients on the label, it means the product contains trans fat.

* Choose soft margarines that are labelled as being free of trans fat or made with non- hydrogenated fat.

* Fry foods less often. When you do fry foods, use healthier oils that contain a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats. Do not re-use the oils more than two or three times.

* When you eat out, ask about the trans fat content of foods on the menu.

Remember, saturated fat also increases your risk of developing heart disease. You can lower your intake of both saturated and trans fats by eating more vegetables and fruit, fish, shell-fish and other seafood, whole grain breads and cereals, peas, beans, lentils and nuts. It also helps to choose oils and fats that contain a high proportion of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Finally, help your children develop healthy eating habits. Encourage them to eat healthy snacks that are lower in trans fats and saturated fats, and lead by example. Good snack choices for children include fruits and vegetables, milk, yogurt, and whole grain cereal and bakery products that are lower in trans fats and saturated fats.

The American Heart Association (AHA) in its Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations (Revised 2006), recommends intake of <7% of energy as saturates and allows only <1% as TFA. In the current US diet, the major sources of saturated fatty acids are animal fats (mostly meat and dairy) and the primary sources of TFA are partially hydrogenated fats. (The USDA says that soybean oil, is also a major contributor of saturates in the US diet, based simply on the quantities consumed). Although the AHA say that there are currently no numerical goals for TFA, the FDA recommends that TFA intake be less than 1%, and for this reason effectively forcing the AHA to recommend a similar dietary goal of <1% TFA. In the most simplistic interpretation of these facts and numbers, the AHA is finally acknowledging that 1% TFA in the diet is equated to 7% saturates in the diet for CHD risk! The FDA on the other hand only legislates the level of TFA in foods but not saturates, which by the way (saturates) still have physiological functions required for human related metabolic processes.

The AHA has been a front-runner in the battle to educate the American consumer and reduce the significantly high rates of CHD related mortality within the American population. While the Europeans could boast of the Mediterranean diet and the French paradox as tools in their fight against CHD, the Americans had hardly anything to offer except their high fat intake, high TFA consumption and a over dependence on the fast food syndrome. To combat these anomalies, the AHA came up with an almost brilliant and strategized recommendation: reduce fat intake to no more than 30% daily energy and ensure that this recommended fat intake was balanced equally between the saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the ratio 1:1:1 (or 10% energy for each component fatty acid). Notice that this recommendation known as the AHA Step1 diet, made in the early 1990s, made no reference to hydrogenated fats or TFA. The Step-1 diet was a brilliant strategy but it soon became obvious that none of the 17 commercially available edible oils (including the much touted olive oil) on its own could fit this requirement. When palm oil was mentioned as part of this prescribed healthy alternative, it was simply snubbed at.

In 1996 however, the itch to make palm oil fit into the AHA Step-1 diet was put to the test. Sundram et al demonstrated that up to 50% palm oil / olein when combined with liquid oils could provide the prescribed distribution of fatty acids without the burden of TFA. When the palm-based blend was evaluated in a randomized clinical trial, the surprising outcome was a significant increase in the beneficial HDL-cholesterol and a significant improvement in the LDL/HDL-cholesterol ratio following the consumption of the palm based AHA Step-1 diet. The results from the clinical study and other subsequent studies proved so intriguing that a series of health patents were successfully filed for and granted by the US patent office for increasing HDL-C and improving the cholesterol ratio.
The patent claims were quickly brought to the market place through the innovative marketing efforts of Great Foods of America, Inc. (GFA) under the brand name of Smart Balancer. This has currently become a household name throughout the USA, emerging as the most exciting health margarine and spread formulations in the US supermarkets, while boldly claiming â%u20AC%u0153Patented To Improve the Cholesterol Ratioâ%u20AC. Sales of Smart Balance are currently on a upward trend propelled not only by its patented claim but also the fact that this product is probably the only genuine and original trans-free formulation made with unmodified natural oils and fat with a final objective of a balance fatty acid composition as recommended in the AHA Step-1 diet.

The US food industry is possibly the most highly regulated entity within the global food industry and policed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Stringent regulations govern and safeguard the American consumer, ensuring a food supply that is of the highest quality. The FDA also safeguards the consumer against false or misleading health claims within the US food supply. In the very midst of such stringent safeguards, the patented claims of Smart Balance have been allowed after proper scrutiny of the facts engrained within the various US patents granted.

What does this signal for palm oil as a potential replacement for hydrogenated fats? At the recent American Heart Association Trans Fat Conference (9-11 October 2006, Washington, DC) the consensus opinion was to reduce and eliminate TFA. However, this objective appears easier mandated that realized by the American food industry. One of the biggest stumbling blocks was the acceptance of what could be conceived as a healthy alternate to hydrogenated fats. The AHA made this more difficult by insisting that TFA containing foods when reformulated should target to reduce not only TFA but also the saturated fat content. They were not prepared to endorse direct TFA substitution but insisted that the TFA + Saturates content in the new product should be lower that the TFA content in the original product.

Here is thus a potential conflict between what is recommended by the AHA as opposed to that which is legislated by the FDA with respect to TFA content in foods. If we take the Smart Balance concept as the preferred road towards trans elimination, this has two major advantages. Current efforts to find alternatives focus on using newer oilseed varieties that will yield oils which are higher in stearic acid to be used in solid fats; high oleic and reduced linolenic acid oils for frying applications. Well, these have their strengths and weaknesses but are also troubled by a lack of assured supply. Estimates from the seed producers themselves warn that it would be at least three years from the first commitment for seed purchases to the time the oil is made available to the end user (food manufacturer included). Does this mean that despite all the blaring alarm bells, the American industries are prepared to endanger the health of their consumers by continuing to not actively replace TFA while making excuses about possible solutions that are already at hand.

A learned American scientist, Dr. Gary List, who is a well versed expert in this field, summed the situation precisely when at the AHA Trans Fat Conference he concluded that any solution targeting the trans fat issues must take into account the availability of the two most important oils on this planet: soybean oil and palm oil. Yes, a marriage of convenience is advocated and such a blended product containing palm and soybean oils already has a researched and patented record of health benefits. Yes, you guessed right: it is the Smart Balance range of products and which within the domain of the US food legislations is allowed to carry the patented health claim.

The likes of the AHA are still paranoid by the possibility that palm oil would flood the American food system and increase overall saturation in the typical American diet. At current rates of consumption, palm oil accounts for less than 2% energy in the typical American diet. Under these circumstances, palm oil can be made accountable for less than 0.8% of the total saturated fat energy derived from the diet (based on total saturates of 40% in palm olein). Although such a minuscule contributor of the saturates, palm oil is continually being picked as the punching bag by less informed expert media writers.

But this should not deter the single minded health planners who need hard facts. Despite (or is it because of?) a 50% palm oil content in a formulated AHA Step-1 diet, as explained above, the formulation resulted in a significant increase in the beneficial HDL-C and lower LDL/HDL-C ratio, both parameters known to potentially reduce risk for CHD. But the AHA is now arguing that Americans really need to target not the Step-1 diet but the Step-2 diet which advocates <7% energy from saturates. Many in the food industry already sigh in great pain since it has been shown to be rather difficult to achieve these targets and yet maintain product functionality and consumer acceptance. The lack of texture (resulting from a lack of solids) in margarine and bakery fats would basically result in â%u20AC%u0153flatâ%u20AC, unappetizing bread for example. Consumers would then be tempted to rather risk health than taste and would be prepared to indulge in TFA containing hydrogenated products which have excellent product functionalities. This would be a major step backwards in current efforts against the CHD tide.

We have made calculations and it is obvious that if it is the 7% energy from saturates that is the target, so be it. It is still possible to formulate a Step-2 diet that partners soybean oil with palm oil and this concept is again engrained in the original patents that led to the successful development of the Smart Balance range of products. Again, resulting from the reformulation, the patented health claims would continue to apply within the current food legislations policed by the FDA. The bottom line is that if America is serious about eliminating TFA, it must look into a marriage between soybean and palm oil. Of course, palm oil can continue to be the minor partner in this and yet deliver the quality and functionality that is so crucial to make the consumer turn away from hydrogenated fats. After all, we had always called palm oil the darling of the food industry for its versatility; now there is evidence that this functionality, versatility and consumer acceptance can be marked with good nutrition as well.

Cutting back on saturated fat is still very important. That's fairly straightforward:

* Pick lean meats and eat small portions.

* Choose low- or no-fat milk and cheese.

* Read labels to help you choose other foods low in saturated fat. The following strategies can help you with the more difficult task of targeting trans fat in fast or processed foods:

* Know "suspect" types of foods. Trans fat turns up in many margarines and shortenings; deep-fried fast foods and some deep-fried snack foods; many commercial baked goods such as pies, cookies, and crackers; and various other common packaged items. There are some notable exceptions, however. Potato chips, pretzels, and salad dressings generally are not made with partially hydrogenated oil. While many peanut butters contain small amounts of hydrogenated oil, they typically contain only traces of trans.

* Look for shortening or partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients list. The higher they appear on the list, and the more total fat on the label, the more trans fat the product probably contains. For example, Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Bread contains partially hydrogenated oil. But because it wasn't high on the ingredients list and total fat was low, the trans content turned out to be negligible.

* In the minority of products that list the saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats, you can roughly estimate the trans-fat content by toting up those fats. If the numbers don't add up to the total fat--and if partially hydrogenated oil is a main ingredient--trans fat likely makes up most of the difference.

* As a shortcut, look for products low in total fat, which means bad fats should be fairly low, too. But keep in mind that foods can be fairly high in total fat yet quite healthful--unless you're watching your weight--if nearly all the fats are from unhydrogenated, nontropical vegetable oils.

* When calculating fat content, consider the amount you'd eat, not the labeled serving size, which may be absurdly small.

* Note that products can make claims such as "low saturated fat" and "extra lean" without considering trans fat, although the FDA intends to revise those definitions to limit the trans-fat content. One exception: "saturated fat free" means less than 0.5 gram each of saturated and trans fat per serving.

* Look for soft or liquid margarines, which tend to have less trans fat than harder versions.

* Consider these tips from Hope Warshaw, R.D., the author of "Eat Out, Eat Right," if you're in a restaurant where nutritional information is unavailable. "Deep fried foods, biscuits, and pie crusts are usually made with partially hydrogenated oils," Warshaw says. "In contrast, most cooks in better restaurants saute and stir fry in unhydrogenated oils." You might even try asking the waiter or cook what kind of oils are used.