Much has been written of late about the dangers of so called ‘trans fats’, and how they are present in our every day diets. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats are not essential, and they do not promote good health. More worryingly, the consumption of trans fats increases one’s risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” cholesterol. They are present in many of teh leading brands of margerine and other spreads, as well as in a lot of processed and ‘junk’ foods.
Health authorities worldwide have in recent years been recommending that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts, if not banning them altogether. It is now the law here in the US since 2006, that the content of trans-fats has to be specifically listed on food labels. This is however slightly confusing, as foods containing less than 0.5g of trans-fats per serving can be labelled as being free of them. Furthermore these regulations only apply to food labels. Food sold in restaurants and canteens are not covered by this law. Therefore, taking these regulations further, the state of California has banned the use of trans fats in all restaurants. New York city has followed suit, as have states and counties in the US.
My advice, therefore, is to carefully check the labels of all food products when you are out food shopping, and avoid any product which contains trans fats.