Now that every ne
wspaper in the country has reported that the FDA is seeking to ban trans fats, readers want to know: what is a trans fat anyway? The best answer may come from the Los Angeles Times, where Karen Kaplan did the research for the rest of us.
1. Trans fats are also known as trans fatty acids. The are made by adding hydrogen to liquid oil, which turns it into a solid that can be used to improves the texture, stability and shelf life of food.
2. Trans fats have been shown to increase “bad†cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and to reduce blood levels of high-density lipoprotein, the “good†cholesterol.
3. The FDA announced its intent to remove trans fats from its list of ingredients that are “generally recognized as safe†(GRAS). That would effectively prevent food makers from using it in their products. Members of the public will have 60 days to comment on the proposal. If it takes effect, it would mark the first time since 1969 an item has been removed from the GRAS list.
Read more disturbing facts about trans fats in the L.A. Times.