Trans Fats Lurk in Unlikely Places

Feb. 7, 2006— -- Since the beginning of the year, manufacturers of packaged groceries sold in supermarkets have been required to disclose the amount of trans fat in their products. As a result, many have eliminated the harmful fat. But hospitals and restaurants do not have the same requirements, and many are still using trans fat in their cooking.

Hospitals know firsthand what trans fat does to the human heart: It is one of the major culprits in heart disease.

"Hospitals should be setting examples for the community, setting the pace, even creating the market for healthier products," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "These are health institutions. They should be promoting health."

Trans fat comes mostly from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil -- a man-made product. Experts say Americans should consume no more than two grams of trans fat per day and eliminate it if possible.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest tested french fries from 20 hospital cafeterias. Fries at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania were the worst with 5.3 grams of trans fat per serving. The University of Michigan and UCLA medical centers were also in the Top 3. The worst fries at a children's hospital were at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

"It looks to us as though hospitals hadn't been thinking about how they've been preparing foods," Jacobson said.

The center also tested some government cafeterias. The fries at the National Institutes of Health and at the Food and Drug Administration contained only trace amounts. But trans fat levels at the Department of Agriculture -- the agency responsible for educating Americans about nutrition -- were the highest in the entire study.

"I've been here for 30-some-odd years," said Stanley Harrison, a USDA employee. "I don't think they ever change."

The amount of trans fat in the fries at the USDA was about the same as you would find in fast-food french fries -- close to six grams.

Several hospitals said that their cafeteria food was prepared by outside vendors, and that they had now asked those vendors to switch to healthier forms of food. Hospitals also said the food they served patients in their rooms was tailored to their conditions.