S. Korea's c. bank holds base rate at 2.50%    Egypt's annual core CPI inflation eases to 11.4% in June: CBE    Tokyo to sign grant deal for Suez Canal rescue ship in August – Japanese envoy    Egypt's EDA, Haleon discuss local market support    Environment ministry signs agreement to strengthen marine protection, promote ecotourism    Egypt, WHO discuss expanding health cooperation, development initiatives    Gaza under siege, fire: Resistance intensifies amid deepening humanitarian collapse    Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives in Egypt for high-level talks    Service restoration underway after Cairo telecom fire, minister tells PM    Egypt, Sierra Leone discuss expanding cooperation in transport, infrastructure    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, France FMs review Gaza ceasefire efforts, reconstruction    Egypt, Pakistan boost healthcare ties – Cabinet    UK, Egypt strengthen cooperation on green transition, eco-tourism, and environmental investments    Escalation in Gaza as ceasefire talks remain fragile amid mounting humanitarian crisis    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Egypt's PM, Uruguay's president discuss Gaza, trade at BRICS summit    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger        Egypt's EHA, Schneider Electric sign MoU on sustainable infrastructure    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







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Q&A: What are trans fats?
The Food and Drug Administration is to gradually withdraw trans fats from public consumption. Here is more on the life-threatening ingredient
Published in Ahram Online on 12 - 11 - 2013

You may not even know you are eating them, but trans fats will eventually be a thing of the past. The Food and Drug Administration says it is phasing them out, saying they are a threat to public health. Some questions and answers about the dangerous fats:
Q: What are trans fats?
A: Trans fats, also called partially hydrogenated oils, are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid. They can contribute to heart disease and are considered even less healthy than saturated fats, which can also contribute to heart problems.
Q: How do I know if I am eating them?
A: You won't be able to taste them, but they do help give a more solid texture and richness to certain foods, like baked goods and ready-to-eat frostings. Some restaurants use them to fry food and they are also sometimes used in microwave popcorn, biscuits and pie crusts. You'll know you are eating them by looking on the nutrition label of a packaged food - the FDA has required labeling of trans fats since 2006.
Q: Why are they so bad for you?
A: Trans fats can raise "bad" cholesterol and lower "good" cholesterol. That can contribute to heart disease - the leading cause of death in the United States.
Q: Are all fats bad for you?
A: No, but they should be eaten in moderation. Unsaturated fats found in nuts, vegetable oils and fish are the best for you. Saturated fats mostly derived from animals are less healthy and should be less than 10 percent of a person's daily calories. Total fat should make up no more than 35 percent of calories a day, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Q: How long have these trans fats been around?
A: For over 100 years, according to the American Heart Association. They were first found on grocery shelves in 1911, with the introduction of Crisco vegetable shortening. Its use became more widespread during World War II when butter products were rationed and people started using margarines that contained trans fats. Many margarines are now trans fat free, as is Crisco.
Q: How will the trans fats be phased out?
A: The FDA announced Thursday that it has made a preliminary decision that trans fats no longer fall in the agency's "generally recognized as safe" category, which is reserved for thousands of additives that manufacturers can add to foods without FDA review. Once trans fats are off the list, anyone who wants to use them would have to petition the agency for a regulation allowing it. Such a petition would be unlikely to be approved since the FDA has determined that trans fats are a threat to public health. The agency hasn't yet said what the timeline will be for eliminating them but is taking comments from industry on what would be appropriate.
Q: Haven't a lot of trans fats already been phased out?
A: Yes. A series of local laws, starting with New York City in 2008, has already prompted the food industry to find alternatives. The industry estimates that almost three-fourths of trans fats are gone already. According to the FDA, trans fat intake among Americans declined from 4.6 grams per day in 2003 to around one gram in 2012.
Q: If many are gone already, then what are the benefits of phasing them out?
A: The FDA is aiming to get rid of those trans fats that are left in the marketplace. Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the move could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths a year.
Q: Will it be hard to find substitutes?
A: In some cases, no. Frying oils are easily substituted and food scientists have already figured out how to substitute other fats for trans fats in many items. In other cases, it will be harder. Ready-to-eat cake frosting, for example, gets some of its solid shape from trans fats. Companies will have to figure out how to keep the item the same without them.
Q: Will I notice the change?
A: Probably not. Trans fats don't have any particular taste, and in most cases other fats will simply be substituted. Your heart might notice, though. Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says the prohibition is "one of the most important lifesaving actions the FDA could take
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