Are Trans Fats Really Gone for Good?

Back in late 2013 the Food and Drug Administration announced plans to phase out partially hydrogenated vegetable oils from all foods. Nearly one year later, it may seem like these trans fats have been eliminated, but it turns out they’re still hiding in as many as 1 in 10 processed foods like cookies and crackers. 

According to current law, the FDA allows manufacturers to say that a food has 0 trans fat if it contains less than half a gram. However, partially hydrogenated oils are not “generally recognized as safe” by the FDA, and they’re the major source of trans fats in processed foods. It’s been estimated that cutting out trans fats could prevent 7,000 deaths per year from heart disease and prevent 20,000 heart attacks. 

While eating packaged cookies containing 0.5 grams of trans fat might not be so bad for you, munching on multiple kinds of these foods throughout the day can quickly add up. What’s a dancer to do? In general, try to avoid processed foods. If you’ve got a cookie craving, stick with homemade treats, so there’s no question about what harmful ingredients may be lurking in your food.