NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — What will food without trans fats taste like? You probably already know.


Artificial trans fats — widely considered the most dangerous of the so-called bad fats in the American diet — were officially shown the door by the Food and Drug Administration this week, but the truth is most food manufacturers and restaurants started the eviction process years ago.


The trans fat purge began when federal officials first took aim at the ingredient more than a decade ago, but hit critical mass when trans fat content was added to nutrition labels on packaged foods in 2006. As consumer awareness grew, companies worked fast to reformulate products to reduce or eliminate trans fats, which are considered unsafe at any level.


The restaurant industry wasn't far behind, particularly after New York City banned trans fats from all restaurant food in 2008, with communities around the country following suit. Rather than grapple with a patchwork of regulations, major chains like McDonald's, Taco Bell and Burger King decided to remove trans fats from their menus nationally.


You'd think we would have noticed. After all, trans fats can play a significant role in a food's texture, structure and taste. Like butter — but more cheaply and with better shelf life — they put the flakiness in flakey pie crusts, and Americans baked with them in the form of Crisco (also now free of trans fats) for generations.


But there are lots of alternatives, and companies simply had to test their way through them until they found the right one for their products.


Dunkin Donuts, for example, began testing dozens of alternatives in 2003 before settling on a blend of palm, soy and cottonseed oils. Before they made the switch official in 2008, the company sold some 50 million trans fat-free doughnuts — all unbeknownst to consumers.


McDonald's and Taco Bell had similar experiences, successfully eliminating the fat without cutting a single menu item or triggering consumer backlash. And by 2010, researchers monitoring the change found that few foods still contained more than trace amounts of trans fats (though some meats and dairy products contain naturally occurring trans fats).


The change also can be seen in many products found in home kitchens. For example, many brands of classic trans fat culprits such as microwave popcorn and frozen pizza have already been reconfigured. Nutrition labels for other products showed that some, such as Duncan Hines chocolate Whipped Frosting, have yet to eliminate them.



All of which means the FDA announcement won't much change the taste of the foods Americans love. The most significant effect will be to close what health advocates have called a loophole in the labeling law, which allows foods with less than half a gram of trans fats per serving to be called trans fat-free. It also effectively eliminates the ingredient from use by smaller restaurants.



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  • Processed Meat


    Hot dogs, bacon, sausage and deli meats -- even lean ones like turkey -- are made with <a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/avoid-these-foods-for-a-healthier-heart">loads of sodium and preservatives</a>, often including nitrates and nitrites, both of which have been linked to heart problems. "With processing, you lose control over the quality of the ingredients," says <a href="http://drcynthia.com/dr-cynthia/">Cynthia Thaik, M.D.</a>, a Los Angeles-based cardiologist. Processed meats are also <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/nutrition-advice-the-trut_b_584758.html">higher in saturated fat and lower in protein</a> than any red meat you could prepare yourself, writes director of the Yale Prevention Research Center and HuffPost blogger, David Katz. Not convinced to stay away? Processed meats have also been linked to a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/13/processed-meat-pancreatic-cancer-bacon-sausage_n_1204620.html">higher risk of diabetes <em>and</em> pancreatic cancer</a>.




  • Red Meat


    Yes, the processed picks are <em>worse</em> for your heart, but that doesn't mean you should go wild for steak. Instead, consider it more of a treat than a staple in your diet: It's still high in saturated fat, even when it's unprocessed. "I don't want to suggest that we have to go [completely] plant-based," says Thaik, "but moderation is always the key." If you're not planning on changing your carnivore ways anytime soon, at the very least pick a <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cuts-of-beef/MY01387">lean cut of beef</a>, which, according to the USDA, contains less than 10 grams of total fat and 4.5 grams of saturated fat. Or opt for extra-lean, with 5 grams of total fat and less than 2 of saturated fat. Of the 29 cuts that meet these regulations, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cuts-of-beef/MY01387">five are extra-lean</a>, according to the Mayo Clinic, including eye of round roast or steak, sirloin tip side steak, top round roast and steak, bottom round roast and steak and top sirloin steak.




  • Pizza


    That cheesy slice may contain as much as <a href="http://www.realage.com/mens-health-guide/worst-junk-food-for-heart-disease-2">two thirds of your daily recommended limit of saturated fat</a>, according to Real Age, which is found mostly in animal products like beef, pork, butter, cream and milk. The American Heart Association recommends getting no more than <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/PreventionTreatmentofHighCholesterol/Know-Your-Fats_UCM_305628_Article.jsp">7 percent of total daily calories from saturated fat</a>. (Based on a 2,000-calories-a-day diet, that totals out to about 15 grams a day of saturated fat). And even though you may think it's "just cheese," many dairy products are actually highly processed, says Thaik. To lighten up, skip extra cheese and top with veggies instead of pepperoni or sausage.




  • Alfredo Sauce


    When you consider that the ingredients in this heavy sauce are <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/alfredo-sauce-2/">butter, cream and cheese</a>, it's easy to see why serving up this pasta dish would pose saturated fat problems -- especially if you're dining out where sauce is ladled over <em>piles</em> of noodles. If you really love an alfredo dish every now and again, ask for the sauce on the side and stick to just a tablespoon or two. If you're making your own at home, try a lightened-up recipe, like <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=163122">this one from SparkPeople</a>, which replaces butter with olive oil, cream with skim milk and cuts down on the amount of cheese.




  • Trans Fats


    These fatty acids are created through processes that make vegetable oils more solid, according to the American Heart Association. They're cheap to produce, are used to make packaged and prepared foods last longer and can be re-used in frying. But <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Trans-Fats_UCM_301120_Article.jsp">trans fats raise LDL or "bad" cholesterol while also lowering HDL or "good" cholesterol</a>, thereby putting your heart at risk. While a number of manufacturers have cut back on trans fat use in light of these health risks, packaged snacks, baked goods and some margarines may still contain it, according to EatingWell. Look for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils on ingredients lists and beware the <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/heart_healthy_diet_center/the_worst_and_best_things_to_eat_for_your_heart?page=2">"zero trans fat" labels -- many are hiding .5 grams and rounding down to zero</a>. But considering that the AHA recommends getting <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Trans-Fats_UCM_301120_Article.jsp">no more than 2 grams a day</a>, that adds up, and fast!




  • Fried Foods


    As restaurants use their frying oil over and over again, the <a href="http://www.livescience.com/14781-unhealthy-fried-foods-heart-attacks.html">fat becomes more and more saturated</a>, according to Live Science. And, as mentioned previously, trans fats are often lurking. Even though some restaurants may have cut back in the face of mounting health concerns, a number of joints still fry with solid oils like shortening, says Thaik. However, a 2012 found that <em>how</em> you fry makes a big difference. Among 41,000 Spanish adults, researchers found no link between fried food consumption and heart problems, likely because <a href="http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/25/a-healthier-way-to-eat-fried-foods/">cooking with heart-healthy olive oil is more common</a> than in the U.S, Time.com reported.




  • Soda


    "When we think of heart disease, a lot of people think cholesterol and fat, but we know that sugar, as it relates to obesity and the effect it has on insulin, has a lot to do with the development of artherosclerosis," says Thaik. In fact, drinking one sugary beverage a day leads to a <a href="http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/03/12/10656108-soda-drinking-men-at-higher-risk-for-heart-attack">20 percent increase in a man's risk of having a heart attack</a>, according to a 2012 study, <a href="http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/12/a-soda-per-day-may-raise-heart-attack-risk/">even if those empty calories <em>aren't</em> causing weight gain</a>, CNN reported. Soda has previously been linked to <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19211821">increased rates of heart disease in women</a>, as well. And diet soda isn't any better. A 2012 study found that a daily diet soda <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/health/research/diet-soft-drinks-linked-to-risk-of-heart-disease.html">increased risk for stroke, heart attack and death</a>, although the exact cause is not yet fully understood.




  • Fast Food


    There's little on the drive-thru menu that isn't loaded with saturated fat, trans fat, sugar or sodium, making most of your orders recipes for disaster. And the consequences for the heart are nearly immediate. A 2012 study examined the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/fast-food-health-arteries-beauty_n_2198725.html">effects of fast food on the arteries after just one meal</a> and found that the ability of the blood vessels to dilate dropped by 24 percent, YouBeauty reported. "Not just fast food but processed food in general has a very high sodium content just by the pure nature of having to do the preservation," says Thaik. Soups and soy sauce are obvious culprits, she says, but saltwater sushi and even bread can be more surprising sources of salt.