Minimising Trans Fat Usage

The tussle between appearance and substance is an old one.

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And in the modern quick-fix mode of operations, this age-old debate has only become more intense. The use of trans fats in the fastfood chains and various other bakery items reflects the continuance of this ancient dilemma.

Conventional cooking in India is highly influenced by the type of fats and oils used.

With the alarming rise in lifestyle diseases and the high levels of stress Indians face these days, consumers have become health conscious and expect the same from their cooking oil and fats. This market trend has given rise to trans-free oils and fats in India.

However, the trans fats, which are mostly man-made, are used not only to make the items crispier or enhance the feel-good factors. They have some other utility for the manufacturers too, such as increasing the durability of used oil or shelf-life of the products. But in the 'service industry', anything that endangers human health cannot and should not be trapped in the profit pack. The search for a healthy alternative is welcome, but compromise on human health is not.

According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA, "Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fats, are made during partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils. Hydrogenation is the process by which hydrogen atoms are added to unsaturated sites on fatty acids, thereby, eliminating double bonds. Partial hydrogenation relocates some double bonds and hydrogen atoms end up on different sides of the chain. This type of configuration is called 'trans' (means "across" in Latin)." Although with the changing food habits and fast growing restaurants, use of trans fat has increasingly come under the scanner, avoiding the consumption of trans fat altogether is difficult, if not impossible.