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Trans- and saturated fats

The harmful effects of some forms of fat on human health have come under the spotlight, and in some states trans-fats are off the menu in restaurants entirely. The manufacturing end of the food industry is on the case, and products are being reformulated along healthier lines.

Efforts to reduce trans fats are working, study suggests

09-Feb-2012 - Trans fat consumption among US adults has fallen 58% over the past decade, coinciding with regional bans and federal government regulation requiring labeling of artificial trans fats, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act hits low-fat flavoured milk

01-Feb-2012 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published regulations governing US school meal programmes that will eliminate low-fat flavoured milk from reimbursable meal options for children.

Animal fat and cholesterol may increase gestational diabetes risk: Study

27-Jan-2012 - A pre-pregnancy diet that is high in animal fat and cholesterol could almost double the risk of pregnancy related diabetes, says new research.

‘Cheese makes you chubby’ New York billboards scream

20-Jan-2012 - The US-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has taken shock tactics to consumers by posting two huge billboards in New York warning of what it claims are the obesity-related dangers of eating cheese.

City of Cleveland sues Ohio State for blocking trans fat ban

05-Jan-2012 - The city of Cleveland has sued the state of Ohio for its attempt to block a proposed ban on the sale of certain products containing artificial trans fats.

Trans fats and nutrient intake linked to Alzheimer’s brain shrinkage

02-Jan-2012 - Consumption of ‘junk food diets’ containing high levels of trans fats may lead to brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s, whilst consumption of foods high in vitamins may offer protection, says new research.

Caravan targets donut frying oil for unhealthy fat reduction

02-Nov-2011 - Caravan Ingredients has added a new application for its Trancendim range of diglycerides to reduce saturated fat content and eliminate trans fat in donut frying oil.

Front-of-pack labeling poll: Facts up Front or a points-based system? Tell us what you think

21-Oct-2011 - Front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labels are designed to help busy shoppers make rapid, but more informed, choices about which foods are healthier.

Comment

IOM front-of-pack labeling scheme: It’s bold, it’s simple and I love it. But is it fair?

21-Oct-2011 - The Institute of Medicine (IOM) certainly didn’t pull any punches in its front-of-pack labels report yesterday.

Trans fat consumption during pregnancy linked to higher birth weights

20-Oct-2011 - Women who consume high levels of trans fat during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to bigger babies, according to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

TCI predicts healthy future for high-stearic, high-oleic sunflower oil as it opens new biorefinery

02-Sep-2011 - Specialty oilseed firm Technology Crops International (TCI) is looking to boost its presence in the food and dietary supplements markets after opening a state-of-the-art biorefinery on Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Low-sat fat ice cream gets formulation boost: Study

24-Aug-2011 - Ice cream formulated with an emulsion containing unsaturated oil showed no differences in melting properties as ice cream made with saturated fat, says a new study offering solutions for ‘healthy’ ice cream.

Sat-fat reductions not as effective for cholesterol reduction, suggests study

23-Aug-2011 - A diet that combines cholesterol-lowering foods may results in greater decreases in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels than a low-saturated fat diet, according to new research.

Bunge North America acquires C.F. Sauer margarine business

16-Aug-2011 - Bunge North America has acquired the margarine assets of the C.F. Sauer Company in Virginia and Kansas, in a move it says could help speed innovation in reduced saturated and trans fat foods.

Academic: Dietary guidelines ‘would benefit from a reality check’

11-Aug-2011 - Dietary guidelines “would benefit from a reality check” according to one of the authors of a high-profile study revealing that following government healthy eating advice could significantly increase food bills.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most caloric of them all?

20-Jul-2011 - Calorie labeling, healthier options and reformulation work notwithstanding, some of America’s biggest restaurant chains are still selling products so eye-wateringly caloric that diners eating just one course are getting all the calories they need for the entire day.

News in brief

Goodbye fried fish; hello grilled, baked, raw, broiled …

20-Jul-2011 - Sales of seafood in US foodservice outlets slumped 2 percent in the year to March 2011, according to market researcher the NPD Group. This compares with flat traffic in the foodservice market as a whole.

Is saturated fat really the dietary bogeyman?

30-Jun-2011 - The debate about just how bad saturated fats really are for our health - and whether what we are replacing them with is potentially worse - raged on at the IFT expo earlier this month.

Dow: High oleic canola will hold its own against next generation soy

20-Jun-2011 - The next generation of healthier soybean oils are impressive, but they will not blow high oleic canola out of the water, Dow Agrosciences has predicted.

Biotech’s big guns gear up for battle of ‘next-generation’ soybean oils

17-Jun-2011 - The next generation of soybean oils will give the food industry a cost-effective and healthier alternative to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVOs) with flavor and stability current alternatives cannot deliver, according to biotech giants Monsanto and DuPont.