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Following reports that have linked trans fat to an array of cardiovascular diseases, Korean food companies are vowing at the start of the new year to remove the harmful oils from their products. Fast food chains, bakeries and companies like Lotte Confectionary, Orion, Haitai Confectionary and Crown Bakery have announced that they have eliminated the dreaded substance.
But should you feel relieved? Are you really out of danger? Experts warn that despite the crackdown on trans fat, consumers must still be careful about what they eat. The problem with removing trans fat, they point out, is that saturated animal fats may be taking their place. And too much saturated fat can be just as harmful as trans fat.
¡ß Saturated Fat Instead of Trans Fat?
How do companies remove trans fat? By switching to saturated fat. Trans fat is formed when liquid vegetable oils are combined with hydrogen to produce a substance that is not quite solid but not quite liquid at room temperature. Margarine and shortening, commonly used in breads and cookies to keep them soft, have a large amount of trans fat.
When health researchers began to publicize the dangers of trans fat, makers of cooking fats and oils such as Lotte Samkang, Samyang, Ottogi and CJ introduced products that met the U.S. standard for zero trans fat. Those products enable food companies to claim that their products are also trans fat free.
However those cooking oils with zero trans fat (less than 0.5g trans fat per 100g) have their own dangers, because in the process of cutting trans fat, saturated fats are increased. "While developing products with significantly lowered levels of trans fat, saturated fat has increased from 20 to 30 percent," said a processed fat and oil researcher in a large company.
Saturated fats are also controversial, as they too are known to cause cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis. In their efforts to remove trans fat, confectionaries are shifting from margarine and shortening to butter. Butter, an animal fat, does not have trans fat, yet it contains a high level of saturated fat. Fast food chains are also using more butter than before.
Meanwhile, deep-fried foods that once were cooked in shortening are now being fried in vegetable palm oil by fast food chains like Lotteria, KFC and Burger King. While palm oil has no trans fat, it contains over 40 percent saturated fat.
Experts say that consumers have to remain vigilant. Dr. Ha Jae-ho with the Korea Food Research Institute said, "Consumers should pay attention to more than just the amount of trans fat in their foods. They should also check the amount of saturated fat before buying products."
Some say food companies are altering their products to respond to the changing social atmosphere. With trans fat a major social issue, companies are forced to reduce trans fat from their menus. But if these companies truly have their customers' best interests at heart, they must also be careful to avoid boosting harmful saturated fats.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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