As of January 2006, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required food manufacturers to list trans fat on food and supplement labels. Trans fats act like saturated fat in the body by raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad") cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, affecting almost 13 million Americans and contributing to more than 500,000 deaths each year.

Identifying saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol on the label gives consumers information to make heart-healthy food choices.  The amount of trans fat appears on the Nutrition Facts Panel directly below the line for saturated fat. Trans fat does not have to be listed on the label if there is less than 0.5 grams per serving. Manufacturers of dietary supplements are required to list trans fat on the Supplement Facts panel if their product contains more than trace amounts (0.5 grams).
                                                             
Trans fat is often in the same foods as saturated fat.  Words such as “partially hydrogenated,” “hydrogenated,” and “vegetable shortening” on the ingredient list are indications that a food contains any trans fat.  The sooner these words appear on the list, the more abundant trans fats are relative to the product’s other ingredients.

Products likely to contain trans fats include microwave popcorn, some margarines, crackers, cakes, cookies, candy, salad dressings, snack foods and other processed foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Typically, the harder the margarine or cooking fat, the more trans fat it contains. Trans fatty acids also occur naturally in animal products such as beef, pork, lamb and dairy products, but in very small amounts.

Consumers must monitor their intake of processed foods. Even if the label says there is no trans fat (because there is less than 0.5 grams in a serving), trans fat intake can add up if a lot of processed foods are eaten. It is also important to remember that many products sold at fast food restaurants are fried in oil or shortening high in trans fatty acids and restaurants are not required to list the trans fats in the foods they serve.

The FDA estimates that the average daily intake of trans fat in the U.S. is about 5.8 grams per day. The FDA does not currently have enough information to establish recommendations for daily trans fat consumption and research is underway to develop these guidelines. However, experts recognize that it is not possible to remove trans fat entirely from the diet because elimination of dairy products and meats would be necessary.

For more information about healthy eating, please visit Westchester County's Department of Health.