Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils

Food manufacturers use trans fats because they’re cheap and easy.

Fats used to be an expensive ingredient. However through hydrogenation, cheap poly-unsaturated vegetable oils can be converted into a semi-solid form. This product is much more useful to food manufacturers.

Hydrogenation changes the physical properties of the fat:

• hydrogenated fats have a longer shelf-life
• they can be re-used without spoiling
• they’re cheaper to transport
• hydrogenated fats mix well with flour, to make better biscuits and pastries.

These trans rich fats make chips crispier and baked goods better.

For better health we need to lower trans fat levels, while also keeping saturated fats at bay. Alternatives to the current crop of hydrogenated vegetable oils need to be found.

To date it’s been relatively easy to develop trans fat free margarines, that are also low in saturated fats. Many of these are on the market in Australia.

However, replacement of the trans fat rich oils used in baked goods, fast foods and other processed foods may be more difficult.

Call me crazy, but there is another alternative. We could reduce our trans intake and improve our health overall by eating less of these foods?

Photograph by mwri under the terms of a creative commons license.

31 October, 2007