The FDA is taking steps to further reduce Trans Fats in processed foods. The FDA and Heart Association are also focusing in on the process of Hydrogenated and Partially Hydrogenated oils. This article put out by the USDA, explains the process.
What’s the difference between partially hydrogenated oil and fully hydrogenated oil? Is one really “healthier” than the other? The answer is yes. Here’s how they’re different. Shortening and margarines are created from liquid vegetable oil. To give these products their solid form at room temperature, a process called hydrogenation is used to change the liquid oils to a solid fat. This process makes the oil more saturated, and when done fully (i.e., with fully hydrogenated oils), thetrans fat content is minimized. Partially hydrogenated oils (not fully saturated) are considered the primary source of trans fat in the diet. Trans fat consumption, like many other factors, has been shown to increase cardiovascular disease risk. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping trans fat intake as low as possible.*
During this process, hydrogen is forced into heated vegetable oil with the aid of a nickel catalyst. Forcing hydrogen into the oil changes the chemical structure so that the oil will become more solid. Because fully hydrogenating the oils makes them too solid and hard to spread, to keep the margarine or shortening slightly soft, the oils used for margarine and shortening were traditionally only partially hydrogenated. But when oils are only partially hydrogenated, the double bonds form trans configurations—the ones linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Fully hydrogenated shortenings don’t have this trans configuration, but they are too solid to use for cooking. This problem can be solved by blending the fully hydrogenated solid with liquid oils to make them softer so that they can be used like regular margarine or shortening.
Partial hydrogenation creates trans fats while at a fully hydrogenated state, the oil returns to a “zero trans fat” level.
*Source: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/Chapter3.pdf
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