Company: Consumers duped by trans-fat loophole

May 22, 2009 – U.S. consumers who choose foods labeled ‘zero trans
fats’ could still surpass their recommended daily limit due to FDA rules that allow up to 0.49g of trans fat per serving to be rounded to
zero, says spread company Smart Balance.

May 22, 2009 – U.S. consumers who choose foods labeled ‘zero trans
fats’ could still surpass their recommended daily limit due to FDA
rules that allow up to 0.49g of trans fat per serving to be rounded to
zero, says spread company Smart Balance.

The World Health Organization has recommended an upper level of one
percent of a person’s energy to come from trans fat – which has been
shown to cause coronary heart disease – and the American Heart
Association recommends consumption of no more than two grams of trans
fat a day.

According to a new survey from market researchers Greenfield Online,
72 per cent of Americans said they read nutrition labels and facts
panels in an effort to make healthy choices when grocery shopping. And
61 per cent said they considered ‘zero grams of trans fats per serving’ to be the most important claim for heart health. | READ MORE