All hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils contain trans fatty acids, a health concern that is quickly becoming a red flag for nutritionists and food manufacturers alike. Found in virtually every processed grocery item on the supermarket shelf, including commercial baked goods like crackers and cookies, the acids are created when hydrogen gas is combined with vegetable oil at high temperatures.
At the molecular level, the hydrogenation process changes the chemical structure of unsaturated liquid fats, rearranging the hydrogen atoms located on both sides of the double bond within the carbon chain.
“It's currently the
third-highest food-safety concern, ranking only
behind the E.coli scare
and salmonella.”
The first patent for the hydrogenation process was issued to William Norman in 1903 as food processors began to lean toward the use of vegetable oils. (*1)
Hydrogenated oils not only made food more pliable but acted as a preservative, extending shelf life as well.Despite the benefits of the hydrogenation process, new medical studies are increasingly finding a connection between hydrogenated oils and serious health problems like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's. A mounting case is being made against the use of hydrogenated oils. In his Harvard School of Public Health Report, internationally recognized professor of medicine Dr. Walter Willett linked 30,000 premature American heart disease deaths each year to trans fats, calling the partial hydrogenation of oils one of the “biggest food-processing disasters in history.”
“If the hydrogenation process were discovered today,” Willet remarked, “It could not be adopted by the oil food industry.” (*2)
Of the four kinds of fat found in foods (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fat), trans fats are now considered to be the most harmful. Researchers are discovering that trans fats cause significant and serious lowering of HDL (good) cholesterol and a significant and serious increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol. LDL causes arteries to become more rigid and clogged and causes or contributes to Type Two diabetes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently taken the position that “intake of trans fats should be as low as possible.” (*3)
This is the only legal food ingredient that merits such strong concern by the FDA and has led a number of groups to push for special labeling in the ‘Nutrition Facts' label on all food packaging if a product contains trans fatty acids.
Despite the historic importance of the hydrogenation process in the past, Voortman's decision to move away from hydrogenated oil is looking better everyday.
*1. p. 23, ‘Fats and Oils: The Complete Guide to Fats and Oils in Health and Nutrition', Udo Erasmus and Jeffery S. Bland, Ph.D.
Publisher: Alive Books; (January 1989) ASIN: 0920470165
*2. p. 73, ‘Eat, Drink and be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating', Walter C. Willett, M.D., P.J. Skerrett and Edward L. Giovannucci, M.D.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; (August 2001) ISBN: 0684863375
*3. Federal Register Final Rule: Trans Fatty Acids in Nutrition Labeling, Nutrient Content Claims and Health Claims, (July 11, 2003)
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qatrans2.html
CHEMISTRY 101
Unsaturated Liquid Fat Trans Fat Carbon
Carbon Chain Chain
