How can they do this?

[L Sass]

Okay all, maybe I'm just dumb, but I don't get this. DH bought potato chips for a party over the weekend. I'm looking at the Lays cheddar and sour cream chips package and in bold letters on the front it says "0 grams transfats". So I think - "they're processed chips - how can they not have transfat?" Look at the ingredients and there clear as day are partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil. How can they do this?

Lorrie

 

[robin4health]

Hey Lorrie! I totally understand your frusteration! I went to a healthy kids talk and they were talking about trans fat and the key words to look for because the labels don't tell you and even 'lie' to you! I don't know how they can do it. After that meeting, I went through my cupboards, and even my hot chocolate mix had hydrogenated oils in it! AUGHHH! They usually say 'NO TRANS FAT' in bold letters and then underneath it very small it says "per serving", but if you read the label, they are there. I guess it is an encouragement for us all to read our labels!

I know I read that Denmark was one of the first countries to ban trans fat in their food products. Oh, how I wish U.S. would follow suit, but I think those are just high hopes.

 

[Mariela]

I have noticed that too. They want us to believe that trans fats are NOT the same as partially or hydrogenated oils.

 

[Juliekins]

Labeling requirements, pure and simple. From this article: http://www.dhn-online.org/freeIssue/transFat.html

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"Under the new FDA labeling requirements, manufacturers can label products containing less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving as having 0 grams trans fat. So, a product may contain shortening or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, but its label will say it has 0 grams of trans fat. This is not as inconsequential as it sounds. Moore explains, “For example, a label may say a serving of potato chips has 0 grams of trans fat, when it actually has 0.4 grams. If a serving is a handful, and you eat a lot of handfuls, that can add up pretty quickly.”"
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So basically, if you only eat an ounce of chips, you're taking in a half gram of trans fat. If you scarf a whole bag, you're taking in a lot more.

Personally, I think that labeling requirement is bogus. I think they ought to have to label for ANY trans fat, but I'm also the kind of calorie fascist that thinks McDonalds ought to list calories, fat, and fiber on their menu boards.

 

[Mckmain]

Lorrie..I think now they can say no trans fat if the trans fat is under .05 grams...or something like that. I believe in 2006 they will have to list the total trans fat grams on every label. I like Kettle Chips or Lundberg Rice chips as they have no partially hydrogenated oils!! Of course I know I shouldn't even eat those......Carole

 

[kathryn]

Just like with "fat free" and other labels, they are allowed to round up and down (due to the lobbying power of big business!). AND they only list the "per serving" amounts, which for chips is actually kind of small (a handful). So, as Carole said, if there is less than .5 gm. of transfats per serving (let's say .4 gm) they can say it has "0" gm per serving. But eat 2 or 3 servings, and you're actually getting .8 or 1.2 grams of transfats (many experts say the safest intake of trans fats is "0").

Just another way of selling things without telling consumer the truth (like the "natural" peanut butter that has sugar and palm kernel oil added!).

 

[L Sass]

I know I know I know - but it doesn't say per serving! That's what's so da** heinous! It's just so wrong that the food industry gets away with so much and then leads a nation of blindly following, obese, type II diabetic, heart diseased patients all the way to the bank. How can we stop this?!!!!!

Lorrie

 

[kathryn]

> How can we stop this?!!!!!
>

Since the food industries that lobby for this kind of misleading labeling (and are pulling thhe strings behind the FDA and the USDA a lot of times) are very powerful and rich, it's hard to fight against them. As individuals, we can educate others, join groups that are fighting for truth in advertising (pretty much an oxymoron, in most cases), and use our pocketbooks to make our choices heard.

For example, you could write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, revealing the "facts" behind some misleading labeling, and educating some folks in the process.