"Ninja Fat"

This is my first lesson kids, so pay attention.Remember the whole public crusade against trans- fat that ended up in it's usage being "forbidden" in certain places?Well what they don't tell you is that just because your food packaging says "0g trans fat" in big colorful letters,doesn't mean food manufacturers haven't found a way to sneak it past us.As a matter of fact,there are multiple ways that food manufacturers sneak it past us,and they do it well.But before I elaborate on that, first let's get scientific.Fat is chemically made up of three naturally occuring elements,oxygen,hydrogen and carbon.There are a few different types of naturally occuring fats,such as saturated fats,unsaturated fats,and omega-3 fatty - acids.Different fats are formed by how the essential elements of fat bond together.When food manufacturers let their mad scientists at naturally occuring fats,the result is the frankenstein of all fats,You guessed it,trans-fats.Trans-fats are created when scientists add extra hydrogen to the carbon in fat,to create a fat that is better suited for their needs,i.e.longer lasting products.Still with me?Trans-fats are added to products made with oils that solidify at room temperature,to keep the products on shelves longer without spoiling.The USDA of course is well aware of this,as well as the negative affects of trans-fats on our health.But the little old american public is no match for the lobbying of large manufacturing companies,to keep their products on shelves.So the USDA is smart enough to kill two birds with one stone.They changed the way they present nutrition facts so that what's presented as "0g trans-fat", actually means less than 0.5 grams of trans-fat per serving.Now that doesn't sound too bad, until you consider the fact that any food you eat can have multiple servings,and the RDA(recommended daily allowance)for trans-fat is 2 grams.But with the manufacturers happy, and the consumers,i.e. you and me, living in a blissful state of ignorance,Who the hell cares right?Wrong.So here's how to get smart and tell when they're trying to pull a fast one.When you grab that bag of "reduced fat" Oreo's that have somehow become acceptable for "conscientious" eaters,here's what to do.You ignore the area titled "Nutrition Facts" and go straight to the ingredients.Any "partially-hydrogenated" or "interesterified"oils,or anything that says "stearate rich",is either hiding trans-fats,or one of the chemical replacements that manufacturers use for it that can be even worse.See it?Now put the Oreo's down,and slowly walk away.Is that the vegetable aisle I see...?