The Truth About Trans Fat Labeling
Why "Zero" Isn’t Zero

These days, supermarket shelves are loaded with products claiming zero grams trans fat per serving. But that "zero" on the label isn’t necessarily really zero. In fact, it can mean almost as much as half a gram of trans fat per serving. And all that bad fat can really add up.

FDA Rules

What consumers don’t know is that many comp­anies are taking advantage of the FDA trans fat labeling rules. According to FDA guidelines, products only need to have less than 0.5g trans fat per serving to claim zero grams trans fat.

But even that is still too much. Just one of these so-called "zero grams trans fat" servings at each meal could add up to almost 1.5g trans fat per day over breakfast, lunch and dinner—and that’s not including snacks. Imagine: that’s almost 75% of the American Heart Association’s recommended daily limit of 2g (about 1% of your daily calories, based on an average 2,000-calorie diet) and could total almost 547.5g trans fat each year! That’s a whole lot more than zero.

Navigating the Dairy Case

So what does this mean for consumers? As is often the case, you need to be aware that labels don’t always tell the full story.

Grocery Aisle

Consider buttery spreads. A recent study conducted by an inde­pendent lab­or­a­tory ex­amined se­ver­al leading brands whose labels (as allowed by FDA guidelines) all stated zero grams trans fat per serving. The results told a different story. (See chart.)

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge.

Clear Conclusions

Out of these leading brands, only one buttery spread stood apart: Smart Balance, with the closest to zero grams trans fat nature allows.

It’s nearly impossible to eliminate all trans fat from your diet. But you can reduce your consump­tion. In addition to searching for a zero on the label, look closely at the ingredient list. If you see ingredi­ents referred to as "partially hydrogenated" or "shortening," you’ve found trans fat.

With far less trans fat than most other leading spreads and no hydrogenated oils in its ingredient list, Smart Balance® Buttery Spread is a good first step.