I know many of you ditched trans fats a while back… way ahead of the FDA’s decision last week to ban trans fats in our food.

But you should know that just because a product’s label screams “0 Trans Fat!!”, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily true.

Nestlé’s Original Coffee-Mate Creamer

Here’s what I’m talking about: Look at the ingredient list on a product. The Nutrition Facts say “Trans Fat 0”… but in the list of ingredients, it says, “partially hydrogenated oil.”  Any oil that is partially hydrogenated is a trans fat.

A little misleading, right?

Here’s something else: The FDA lets food companies claim that a food product is “trans fat-free” if it has 0.5 grams or less per serving… like Fig Newtons and Premium Saltine Crackers. That is NOT trans fat free.

Having worked for several major food companies, I know it takes a long time to reformulate ingredients, especially those that have trans fats, because hydrogenated oils give foods taste and texture and helps prolong their shelf life.

Nilla Wafers are a good example. You get that crisp snap because the trans fat keeps the cookie from going stale and becoming soft. Nestlé’s Coffee Mate is smooth, rich and creamy because the third ingredient (after water and sugar) is hydrogenated oil.

Here’s hoping that the FDA’s ban on trans fat is the first step in recognizing that we need to clean up our food supply. What’s up next? Sodium? Sugar? High fructose corn syrup? Parabens? Nitrates? BHT? Tartrazine? The list goes on and on.