The secret killer in your food

You might never have heard of it. You may not even know it's there. But if by you buy certain foods from a supermarket, you will, without realising, have eaten it. Find out what it is, how to avoid it and why we want it to be banned!

You might never have heard of it. You may not even know it’s there. But if by you buy certain foods from a supermarket – even foods that seem completely harmless, brands that are regularly eaten by children – you will, without realising, have swallowed it.

By now, it’s in your arteries, it’s on your hips – and despite the fact that it is a banned food substance in some countries in the world, the majority of people in this country are still blinkered to its dangers. 

Its name is trans fat and it is the dangerous doyenne of the convenience food world. 

What is trans fat?

Trans fat is the secret killer in your food, raising the risk of coronary disease, congealing in society as a thick, hard lump of addictive eating that’s hard to shift.

Trans fats are created when unsaturated non-solid fats (oils usually) are 'saturated' with hydrogen to harden them so the food has a longer shelf life. Trans fats mimic highly concentrated saturated fats, but they rarely occur naturally.

As artificial, man-made fats, they increase the risk of heart disease by raising ‘bad’ cholesterol.

Which foods contain trans fat?

Trans fat has eeled its devilish way into so many foods; it is in baked goods and fast food, cereals, biscuits, cakes, danishes, chips, milkshakes, sweets, basically anything you’re pone to reach for on a hangover, or a low love day. 

The reasons trans fat is so prolific is because it increases shelf life, keeps things looking suspiciously plump and fresh, even though consuming them will leave us only the former. 

These fats are also much cheaper alternatives to animal fats like butter and lard, while providing a similarly moreish taste and texture to things – it’s an alarming ruse when we break it down.

Because, unfortunately, trans fat does taste devilishly good – it’s that succulent, juicy glazed donut that just won’t go off, it’s that deep fried Chinese restaurant wonton that’s crispy, fatty, unctuous and hot hot hot from its vat of artificial fat. 

How can I avoid trans fat?

The foolproof way to avoid trans fat is to check the tiny print on the back of whatever you’re reaching for on a shiny supermarket aisle. 

On reading ‘partially hydrogenated fat/ oil’ or ‘hydrogenated fat/oil’ drop it and flee.  Though this won’t be easy.  I’m looking at the back of a large Celebrations tin as I write, and there it is -  ‘hydrogenated vegetable fat’.  But I’m still tempted to fish out a Malteser or three – mostly as I need the box clear to keep flour and rice in, I tell myself.

Bakeries wafting out delicious smells and fast-food joints luring you in with their chip fat aroma carry no list of ingredients or trans fat content though. 

You can just bet your heart-rate on the fact that trans fat is lurking there, ready to gloop its way up your milk-shake straw. 

Trans fat abolition?

Truth is we’re clearly a nation that needs nannying.  We’ve already shown we have virtually no willpower by our burgeoning collective size, so let’s just hope that health secretary Andrew Lansley is going to dish out some effective public health measures to lick us into shape. 

It’s not enough that Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer have stopped incorporating the fake fatty killer into their home brands, as most of us prefer the real McCoy to home brands anyway. It’s no longer what the supermarkets manufacture themselves that is the problem – it’s what they sell.

Brands that contain trans fat

The good news is, as well as the big supermarkets, many big brands like McDonald's and Mr Kipling have removed trans fat from their ingredients.

Other household confectionary brands, such M&Ms, Milky Way, Twix and Snickers, still use trans fat in their ingredients, despite often being marketed at children.

In my opinion, we need a total ban on trans fat, like they have in Denmark. 

The Danes are ok, I’m sure they’ve barely noticed the difference.  Cake life may have decreased, but the Dane heart will be beating stronger as a result.  And, as it takes a long time to get the clogs turning, the Food Standards Agency can ensure that the trans fat content in foods is vast and flashing in the interim. 

Just as the calorie-conscious are obsessed with the now prolific calorie corner on most food items, so should trans fat presence be something that is searched for.  And avoided. 

Despite ignorance being chip fat bliss, it’s time to raise our heads from the trans fat trough and get to grips with the risks.

 For more information about trans fats, visit www.bantransfats.com 

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