trans fats

[LaTurkey]

Can you inform me about them?

For example, how can you tell if something contains them?

Are they the same as hydrgoenated vegetable oil?

And what I really want to know, which is: when you see 'vegetable oil' in an ingredients list of a product is this always hydrogenated or a trans fat?

If it just says veg oil it shouldn't be hydrogenated. It should be 'unsaturated' ie have lots of double bonds.

'Saturated' fats have single bonds and more hydrogen atoms. Naturally occuring ones are often in the cis configuration and these happen to not be so bad for the body. Artificial hydrogenation tend to give the trans configuration which has been found to be particularly unhealthy.

If it says 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated' veg oil, its almost certainly trans and best avoided.

Atoms eh?

I AM generally interested but alos, in a rush and a bother the other day I bought DD some of those Heinz biscotti things and they had vegetable oil. I think they're heinous in general but fussy eater DD ADORED them, so I'm wondering just how heinous they are.

I'll draw you diagrams if you really want but it wouldn't tell you much about biscotti . I think they have to say if they've hydrogenated so if it just says veg oil prob OK.

Apparently things that say "reconstituted" or "partially reconstituted" such as reconstituted skimmed milk in ice cream, often have hydrogenated fats in them as well. But there is some loophole that means when it is reconstituted it doesn't have to be listed as hydrogenated. But I may be wrong (I think Grimma knows a lot more about this than I do !)

Heinz biscotti

2nd ingredient is sugar and they are almost a third sugar . This is empty calories nutritionally speaking.

It's no wonder she adored them, they are basically biscuits and just as unhealthy. If you have a fussy eater already then this sort of thing is unlikely to help.