Fuzzy Math at the FDA

Okay, my five-year-old can tell me that 0.5 does not equal zero. Apparently, this knowledge has not yet filtered to the FDA.

We have all heard about transfats these days. These nasty fats cause all kinds of health issues, among them elevated levels of trigylcerides (Can anyone say heart disease?). Well, the FDA in recent years finally started making the food manufacturers put transfats on the label - but with a big escape route: If the transfat in a serving is 0.5 grams or less, they can claim it as transfat-free.

Since when did 0.5 equal zero? Apparently I don't understand this reasoning, except to say that it is a shameless way to trick the public. Notice that the loophole is 0.5 grams PER SERVING. This is key, folks. Has anyone noticed that serving sizes are getting increasingly smaller? Hmmm... I noticed a box of cookies that proclaimed itself to be transfat-free per serving (again,this is key), so I checked out the label. The label said it was transfat-free, but the serving size was ONE measly cookie. Now, who would eat just one, tiny cookie? That is ridiculous! But, it said it was transfat-free, so I looked at the ingredients... Transfat-free? Not even close.

How to spot a transfat: If you see anything on the label that starts with "partially hydrogenated", congrats, you just spotted a transfat. What burns me up is the lengths the manufacturers go to cover these things up and try to trick the public. Ugh.

Bottom line: read the labels. If it says transfat-free, check the ingredients. Anything partially hydrogenated, put it back on the shelf. Your health - and your children's - will thank you for it.