BAN ON HYDROGENATED FATS-ALLEGED DESCRIMINATION

It is by now well established that trans fats are not desirable in foods that are consumed regularly as they are implicated in many health disorders afflicting mankind. Though this information was known for many years, no firm action was forthcoming to prevent manufacture of foods containing this dangerous artifact, though some restrictions have been imposed on maximum permissible limits. It goes to the credit of one of the states in the US which has put in place a ban on serving foods containing trans fats effective January 1, 2010. "That's a mighty resolution because California is the first state to stop restaurants from using trans fats as shortening to fry food in because trans fats raise your bad cholesterol, LDL, and lower your good cholesterol, HDL. Trans fats are notorious for the role they play in opening the pathway for hardening of the arteries by inflammation, increasing the number of strokes, angina, and coronary heart disease. Trans fats are those hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils you find in baked goods and other foods". One of the arguments against the ban was that restaurant foods constitute only 25% of the meals consumed by the families, leaving then free to use trans fat containing coking fats at home. There does not seem to be any restriction in place against manufacture or sale of hydrogenated fats in the country. Catalytic hydrogenation of liquid oils at high temperatures generate trans fats and the favorable functional characteristics of these fats make them attractive to many users. Also under question is the leeway shown to bakery industry which is permitted to use hydrogenated fats/shortenings till 2011. Probably non-availability of suitable substitutes to the existing shortenings could have persuaded the law makers to give a longer time to the bakery industry. Solid fractions of Palm oil and Coconut oil and inter esterification of liquid oils do give products similar to bakery shortenings and bakery industry must switch over to these fats in the best interest of their consumers. V.H.POTTY http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/ http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com