Ask The Expert
Eating Well

Congratulations for becoming a "trans fat detective!" Food labeling can be confusing. You are correct in that it means there is a very small amount of trans fat in the tub.

This is an excerpt from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explanation:

" Q: Is it possible for a food product to list the amount of trans fat as 0 g on the Nutrition Facts panel if the ingredient list indicates that it contains "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil ?"

A: Yes. Food manufacturers are allowed to list amounts of trans fat with less than 0.5 gram (1/2 g) as 0 (zero) on the Nutrition Facts panel. As a result, consumers may see a few products that list 0 gram trans fat on the label, while the ingredient list will have "shortening," "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil," or "hydrogenated vegetable oil" on it. This means the food contains very small amounts (less than 0.5 g) of trans fat per serving.

Also, Lynne Lyons, MPH, RD, CDE, of Abbott Diabetes Care added that you need to be careful to watch the serving size when reading these labels. Some of the serving sizes are so small that most people will eat double or triple that amount, thus ingesting more than 0.5 gm of trans fat. For example, a potato chip serving size is approximately 15 chips — and most people don't stop at 15 chips.

I would recommend you review this with your dietitian.