Reject obesity and stay away from trans fats

Editor's note: "Trans fat" may not be familiar to the Chinese, but in the United States, it has repeatedly made headlines on newspaper websites. This is a health hazard, and it is also "hidden" around you and me. So how to keep a distance from it? Listen to what experts say.

Many desserts contain trans fat

Trans fats, also known as trans fatty acids, are the product of the "hydrogenation" process of oils. Don't think that this unfamiliar noun is far away from us. In fact, opportunities to accidentally eat it are everywhere. Trans fats are found in common food raw materials in life, such as artificial fats, hydrogenated oils, and coffee and vegetable fat powder.

Fan Zhihong, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at China Agricultural University, once conducted a survey and found that many foods that we usually find delicious use artificial fat: in the same supermarket, 36 of 95 biscuits contain artificial fat, 19 of 51 cakes and snacks contain artificial fat, all 16 coffee partners contain artificial fat, and 22 of 31 cereals contain artificial fat. Even breads, candies, ice cream, rice balls, etc. are not "immune".

Trans fats are also hidden in food

"The current situation is even more worrying. Because trans fat not only has the advantages of high temperature resistance, non-deterioration, and long-term storage, but also improves the taste of food and makes food crispy, smooth or soft, it has become a 'secret weapon' for many food processing companies to attract consumers. Due to the high cost of traditionally used butter and butter, and the poor storage of vegetable oils and the inconvenient use of vegetable oils in solid foods, many manufacturers are now turning to ingredients containing hydrogenated vegetable oils." Fan Zhihong said.

So, where do trans fats generally hide? Professor Yang Yuexin, director of the Food Nutrition Evaluation Office of the Nutrition and Food Safety Institute of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters that all foods containing "hydrogenated oil" or fried with "hydrogenated oil" contain trans fats.

First, artificial oils such as margarine (vegetable butter) must contain trans fats; secondly, fried foods such as instant noodles, potato chips, French fries, etc. may contain trans fats; Thirdly, trans fat may be found in some processed foods containing fat, such as instant soups, fast food, frozen foods (such as glutinous rice balls), baked foods (such as biscuits, cookies and breads), various ready-to-make paste powder foods (such as powdered cereals, coconut powder, sesame paste powder, etc.), and various butterscotch, peanut butter, and chocolate paste. In addition, crispy bread contains "shortening", low-end chocolate contains "cocoa butter substitute", some breads and crisps contain "magi", microwave popcorn and some puffed foods also contain hydrogenated vegetable oil. Even crispy foods such as Indian fly cakes and straw hat cakes in restaurants may be made from oils containing hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Fan Zhihong said that the content of trans fat is very small in natural foods, and the foods containing trans fat that people usually eat basically come from various highly processed foods and fried foods. Not only food, but also drinks were not spared. For example, there is actually not a drop of milk in pearl milk tea, but is made of creamer, sugar, essence and pigments; one of the main ingredients of the coffee companion that must be added to drinking coffee is vegetable fat powder, and the main ingredient of vegetable fat powder is hydrogenated oil containing trans fats. (Editor in charge: Yang Miao Intern Editor: Yan Yugeng)