Zero doesn't always mean zero when it comes to trans fats

With all the bad press trans fats are getting these days it seems the most popular food labels in the grocery store are the ones screaming "Zero Trans Fats!" in huge red letters. But can you trust that zero means zero? Not necessarily. The FDA says that a label can proclaim zero grams trans fats if there's less than 1/2 gram per serving, and considering most packages contain more than one serving and we Americans have a portion control problem...well you do the math. A person could easily exceed the 'no more than 2 grams of trans fats daily' recommended by the American Heart Association.

So how can you know for sure if zero means zero? Read the label. If partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is listed then there are trans fats present, in however small amounts.