What is hidden in confectionery fat and corn syrup? Are ready-made donuts, cakes, cookies, crackers and biscuits he althy? Or maybe instead of buying cookies or donuts in a store, it is better to bake them yourself?

Confectionery fats are made from refined hardened and liquid vegetable fats (such as rapeseed, soybean, peanut oil), and sometimes from animal fats: lard or hardened fish oil with the addition of an emulsifier and / or lecithin. They are used forcakes ,cakes ,biscuits , crackers and also for frying donuts.

Confectionery fats used to make cakes, cookies, donuts …

All confectionery fats have a specific taste and smell, without any foreign aftertastes, with a color ranging from white to light cream. Depending on the destination, they differ in melting point:

  • 28 - 31 ° C - fats for baking confectionery;
  • 32 - 34 ° C - fats for confectionery masses (e.g. translating creams);
  • 34 - 37 ° C - fats for coatings and fatty masses (some people may remember the so-called chocolate-like products).

The higher the melting point, the harder the fat and the more unhe althy saturated fat it contains. While the fat you find in your favorite cookies is at least partially vegetable fat (which is the group recommended by nutritionists), it is processed fat, and these are harmful. They contain trans isomers, the same ones found in powdered soups, ready-made sauces and fast food. Trans isomers lower the level of good cholesterol (HDL) and at the same time increase the concentration of bad cholesterol (LDL). Research also confirms the close relationship between eating trans isomers and ischemic heart disease. There are also many scientific reports indicating that frequent eating of trans fats is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The Danes have implemented a regulation that says the maximum content of trans isomers in food products - it is 2 percent. In the USA, since 2006, all food manufacturers have to indicate the content of trans fats on the labeling of food products. There is still no obligation to include such information in Poland.

What is hidden in ready-made cookies? Check it out!

Important

To the blacklist enter:

  • oilshydrogenated
  • trans isomers
  • partially hydrogenated oils
  • high fructose corn syrup

When buying cookies, read the labels

To find out which foods are trans fat free, you need to read the ingredient list on the product carefully. Trans fats may be referred to as "hydrogenated oils" or "partially hydrogenated oils". The second substance that may be of concern is "high-fructose corn syrup", which replaces sugar in cakes, desserts, drinks, cereals, yoghurts, ketchup and mayonnaise. It is difficult to find products in the store that do not contain sugar or corn syrup. You can sweeten everything with it, so due to the low price, producers use it. Remember that this syrup is also sugar, just fruity. It is believed to block the absorption of minerals, incl. copper and magnesium. Read labels and choose products sweetened with glucose or fructose syrup.

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