/oss/taxonomy/term/1500/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-you-asked/what-modified-palm-oil <p>This is a term you will see on the ingredients list of numerous products ranging from margarine and shortening to chocolate bars. I’ve been repeatedly asked about the presence of modified palm oil in Nutella, the popular chocolate hazelnut spread. Let’s squash one misconception right away. There is no genetic modification involved here, rather the term refers to altering the molecular structure of the naturally occurring fats in palm oil to produce fats with the desired melting point, consistency and mouthfeel.  </p> Fri, 21 Jan 2022 20:41:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9002 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-food-health-news/stoned-food <p>The effort to eliminate trans fats from our diet may have more benefits than expected. There is near unanimous agreement that trans fats increase the risk of heart disease but eliminating them may even have an effect on the obesity epidemic. It isn’t because trans fats are any higher in calories than other fats, it’s a question of the company they keep, namely specific polyunsaturated fats. Vegetable oils such as corn, cottonseed and soybean cannot be repeatedly reheated without decomposing, so they are not a good choice for frying in commercial food production.</p> Fri, 14 Feb 2014 12:56:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2097 at /oss