Trans Fatty Acids

About Trans Fatty Acids

Trans fatty acids are unsaturated fats with at least one double bond in the trans configuration, giving them a straighter shape that behaves more like saturated fat. Most dietary trans fat historically came from industrial partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, a process developed in the early twentieth century and widely used in margarine, shortening, fried foods and packaged baked goods because it improved shelf life and texture. Small amounts of naturally occurring trans fats are found in milk and meat from ruminant animals. Industrial trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol and are strongly associated with coronary heart disease. Denmark was the first country to restrict industrial trans fats, in 2003. The US FDA determined in 2015 that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer generally recognized as safe, and in 2018 the World Health Organization launched the REPLACE initiative calling for the global elimination of industrially produced trans fats from the food supply.