US food directive serves as wake-up call for desi snacks

Chennai:

It is about time to watch what we eat. The directive of US Food and Drug Administration to food manufacturers for removing artificial trans fat from products has led experts in India to demand similar action. They claim that Indian snacks -both packaged products and those sold by roadside hawkers -contain excessive amounts of the fat which is believed to make food tastier and increase shelf life. However, the much less known fact is that trans fats are responsible for a range of chronic illnesses.

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fats produced industrially from vegetable fats for use in margarine, snack food, packaged baked goods and frying fast food. Experts say that on a per-calorie basis, trans fats appear to increase the risk of coronary heart disease more than any other macronutrient.

Dr Vijay Viswanathan, chief diabetologist, M V Hospital for Diabetes, said Indian foods, including baked items, cheese spreads and fried food, contain plenty of trans fat while there is sadly any awareness about its ill-effects.

“The main culprit when it comes to abundant amounts of trans fat is oils that are reheated and reused. In a country where street food is very popular, the population gains majority of its trans fat from the fried foods sold on the road side,“ warned the doctor.

While home cooked food may not pose such a huge trans fat threat, street vendors cut corners and reuse the same oil over and over again to save a few bucks, he added.

Nutritionist Dr Deepa Agarwal said trans fats are used in most packaged food, as unlike natural fats with similar properties like ghee, butter or coconut oil, they do not get rancid. “This means a longer shelf life for packaged food items such as biscuits, baked food,“ she said.

Dr Vijay said trans fat was capable of increasing the cholesterol levels in the body and leading to blockage in the blood vessels which could result in chronic cardio-vascular problems. “It could also cause fatty liver disease as fat gets deposited in all the wrong places. Like a domino effect, when there is insulin resistance in the body , it leads to diabetes and the presence of carcinogens in could cause cancer in the long run,“ he said.

Doctors said people should use a combination of oils containing poly and mono unsaturated fatty acids to avoid trans fat while cooking. “It is recommended that food companies disclose trans fat content and people should read the labels when they purchase food,“ Dr Agarwal said.