Trans-Fat Hiding: Concept, Risk and Examples

There are many types of fat present in food. However, one of them that you want to steer clear of is trans-fat. It is the most addictive and unhealthy type of fat among all. However, people often fail to avoid those as they are present in some of our favourite food items.

Keep reading if you want to know about them all. However, let's first discuss what it is and the multiple health risks involved.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils or PHOs are significant sources of trans-fat in people's diets. It is created by adding hydrogen to the liquid vegetable oils using a mechanical process. As a result, food manufacturers get a thicker oil product that helps enhance food’s shelf-life.

Food manufacturers use PHOs because they are cheap and make their food items much more affordable.  However, they are not good for our health. For example, if you consume trans-fat foods, it increases your LDL cholesterol and lowers your HDL cholesterol, increasing your chances to experience cardiovascular illness. Thus, it is even banned as an ingredient in food and is no longer recognised as a safe component under GRAS.

It is a chemical process followed by food manufacturers at large. However, between naturally occurring and artificially occurring trans-fat, the latter should concern us more. Natural ones are found in a few animal products and are minimum in amount. However, artificially induced ones are extensive, incorporated to make certain fats solid at room temperature and some food more palatable.

To know about a few of the examples of trans-fat food we have in our daily lives, refer to the following list.

To avoid becoming a victim of the hidden trans-fat, lookout for the following food items and try to keep their consumption to a minimum:

1. Fried Food at Fast Food Restaurants

The crispy textured food you enjoy at a fast-food restaurant is one of the primary sources of trans-fat. If you have wondered why the fried chicken and french fries at the restaurant are extra crunchy than the ones you make at home, it is because of the oil that contains trans-fat. This makes the oil more lasting and affordable.

In contrast, some restaurants often reuse the oil for frying throughout the day. This reusing or reheating of oil increases people's chances of developing breast cancer.

2. Bakery Products

One of the top items that fall under the list of trans-fat foods includes bakery items like cookies, muffins, croissants, etc. These contain solid fat that gives out a crumbly and flakey texture. Additionally, it increases products’ shelf life and is cheaper—this vegetable shortening and margarine use PHOs, which serves as the primary source of trans-fat. 

3. Microwave Popcorn

Microwave popcorn is one of our favourites and also the main culprit as it contains PHOs. Manufacturers use it because of its high melting point. As a result, the oil does not lose its solidity until you microwave the popcorn bag. 

4. Coffee Creamer

You may not know this, but when you have coffee creamer, it isn't just milk and sugar that you are consuming. There are PHOs too in the ingredient list, making the coffee more creamy and consistent. In addition, it increases product shelf-life.

On the other hand, if you order a non-dairy coffee creamer, it contains relatively more PHOs. In place of milk, manufacturers then rely on oil to maintain consistency.

5. Frozen Food

Different frozen food items, whether pizza, frozen pies, breaded fish, fries, or waffles, all come under the examples of trans-fat food. So, even if they advertise it as low-fat products, they are still high on PHOs. So, if you want to avoid partially hydrogenated oil read the ingredient list to be sure. 

One must avoid trans-fat foods as much as possible as it is the worst type of fat. It not only increases bad cholesterol but also lowers the good ones. Thus, overall it makes your heart health worse. In addition to this, it also affects consumers' brains negatively.

In a 2019 study, researchers found that people with a higher degree of artificial trans-fat in their blood were more prone to dementia and Alzheimer type diseases. More recently, the researchers even found that consumers of PHOs were also at risk of depression, reduced mental performance and other severe cases.

To help the consumers, the Food and Drug Administration department compulsorily asked food manufacturers to add trans-fat details on their food label list. So if you are finding ways to make healthier choices whenever selecting food items in the supermarket, here are three ways to avoid trans-fat:

• Always Check Nutrition Label on Packaged Foods: The nutrition list always informs its consumer about the amount of trans-fat in one product serving. However, if it is below 0.5mg, they may skip mentioning it on the food package.
• Avoid Having Saturated or Other Trans-Fat: Remember that the more you resort to packaged or frozen food, the more ways you are exposing your body to Trans-fat.
• Do Not Skip Looking for Partially Hydrogenated Oils: If the product says it contains partially hydrogenated oils, it may also include trans-fat. However, if the manufacturer explicitly mentions that it has no trans-fat on the ingredient label, you can believe it.

Hopefully, the above information can help individuals adopt a healthy diet and eating habits. Now that you know about the food items containing trans-fat and ways to limit their consumption, you can easily make the necessary changes to your lifestyle to prevent its harmful effects.