Many states in the US have, in recent years, proposed or
enacted bans on trans fat. Californian restaurants and bakeries are prohibited
from using trans fats. CPK is a restaurant, however, their frozen meals in
question are available in supermarkets. They are not served or distributed by
CPK. Therefore, it may be unethical for CPK to have trans fat in a product
bearing their name, but it is not illegal.
What’s the deal with trans fat? They are bad news for your
health. They increase your ‘bad’ cholesterol and decrease your ‘good’
cholesterol. Over time, this promotes heart disease. Trans fat occurs naturally
in trace amounts in dairy and meat. However, these are not the foods to avoid.
Many processed foods (store bought and packaged cakes,
pastries, cookies, crackers etc and deep fried foods) contain trans fat that
are not naturally occurring. Instead are added to enhance taste and
increase shelf life. Through a process called hydrogenation, liquid fats are
turned solid to make them more stable. When added to foods, they increase the
time packaged foods can sit around without spoiling: extending their shelf life.
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| Figure 1: US nutrition label and ingredients list |
Trans fats are regulated (or not) to varying degrees
globally. Denmark became the first country, in 2003, to pass laws regulating
the sale of foods containing trans fat. In 2008, Switzerland followed Denmark’s
path. Australia is yet to legislate on the issue, although fast food outlets
were ‘asked’ to reduce their use of trans fats. Australian ingredient lists are not
required to list hydrogenation of oils, nor is it mandatory to list trans fats
on the Nutrition Information Panel (Figure 2). In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) in the USA began requiring trans fat labeling on the Nutrition Facts
Panel of foods. However, if there is <0.5g of trans fat ‘per serve’ it can
be listed as 0g, but that’s another article (and it’s on the radar).
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| Figure 2: Typical Aust nutrition label and ingredients list |
References:
Original
source: http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/mom-s-5-million-lawsuit-targets-toxic-frozen-pizzas-sold-at-local-store#pdf-13179899
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