"Trans-Fat: The Time Bomb in Your Food" by Maggie Stanfield - review

 

These are the comforting, nostalgic foods that evoke warm memories of childhood: Quality Street chocolates, Angel Delight desserts, Horlicks night-time drinks, and Knorr stock cubes.

As brands, they persist. They may not be as avant-garde as their contemporary counterparts on supermarket shelves, nor are they particularly healthy. Indeed, some of the beloved comfort foods from our youth harbour ingredients that contribute significantly to health risks.

The primary offender is often hidden in the small print of ingredient labels: hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). While it may sound innocuous, it ranks among the most hazardous substances incorporated into our diet.

Though food safety alarms are not new, HVO poses an unprecedented health risk. Recent scientific studies indicate its potential role in causing a substantial number of heart attacks, the exact magnitude of which remains uncertain.

Clinical research reveals that consuming merely two grams of HVO daily—the amount found in a single doughnut cooked in this fat—increases the risk of heart disease by 23%. This renders HVO more detrimental than the saturated fats it replaces, such as butter. HVO not only alters cholesterol levels but also promotes obesity, inflammatory conditions, and may even affect fertility.

Despite these dangers, many leading UK food manufacturers continue to include it in everyday products. Brands using HVO include Cadbury Heroes, certain Nestlé and Mars confections, Batchelors Cup a Soups, and even Haliborange Omega-3 Fish Oil capsules for children.

Its use is not limited to retail products. HVO, often referred to as trans-fat, is prevalent in bakery products, restaurants, and takeaways, where labelling is not mandatory.

The reason for its continued use by prominent food companies is straightforward: cost and convenience. Discovered in 1903, when oil was heated to over 260°C with a metal catalyst like nickel, the resulting substance was initially intended as a cheap candle wax alternative. Its application in mass food production was an unexpected, yet commercially significant, discovery.

"Hydrogenated vegetable oil may appear unappealing, but it represents a triumph for food scientists," explains health writer Maggie Stanfield, author of "Trans-Fat: The Time Bomb in Your Food," which details its acceptance by the food industry.

HVO serves as a cheaper, long-lasting alternative to butter, offering desirable texture without altering flavor. An American program recently showcased a 25-year-old fairy cake made with HVO, still appearing fresh.

Safer substitutes are now available, and some UK producers have adopted them. Yet, many persist with HVO, driven by cost savings and consumer ignorance about its dangers, mistakenly believing that saturated fats are more harmful.

Given the compelling scientific evidence against trans-fats, an EU-wide ban is imperative. Denmark, which outlawed HVO five years ago, saw a 40% reduction in heart disease rates. Switzerland followed suit this April, but the UK has yet to take action, relying on the industry to self-regulate.

Will change occur? Evidence suggests reluctance. UK regulations require HVO labelling, but it's often unrecognized by consumers. A voluntary agreement last year committed retailers to remove HVOs from own-label products, yet compliance falters.

Professor Steen Stender, the Danish cardiologist who championed the trans-fat ban, argues that voluntary measures fail. "The EU must prohibit their use."

Maggie Stanfield concludes that the only safe level of HVO consumption is none. "When consumed, trans-fats confuse our cells, mimicking unsaturated fats but disrupting cellular structure and cholesterol balance, increasing heart disease risk."

For the food industry, trans-fats remain a trade secret, due to their extended shelf-life, neutral flavour, and low cost. An EU ban is crucial, Stanfield insists. "What are we waiting for? Denmark has led the way; Europe must eliminate these harmful fats now."

"Trans-Fat: The Time Bomb in Your Food" by Maggie Stanfield is published by Souvenir Press, £8.99.