Tag: Interesterified fat

Historically, vegetable shortening gained a poor reputation because it contained partially hydrogenated oils, a source of unhealthy trans fats now linked to heart disease. However, modern vegetable shortening has been reformulated to remove these trans fats, raising a new question: is vegetable shortening unhealthy in its current form?

In recent decades, awareness about the negative health effects of certain fats has surged, with studies linking trans fats to inflammation and heart disease. This has led many to question the ingredients in processed foods, including the popular baking staple—is vegetable shortening inflammatory?

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration's official ban on industrially produced *trans* fats effectively ended the widespread use of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in processed foods. This shift, driven by growing awareness of trans fat's significant cardiovascular health risks, prompted manufacturers to find functional replacements for these unhealthy fats.