Trans fat Topic

Verneld 04/26/18
I'm not sure if this is where I ask about this, if not where do I
Why does ground sirloin (any ground beef) have trans fat but sirloin does not?
Also when I add soda, I scanned a bottle of mnt dew and it logged caffeine but any fountain drink does not.

Dietician 04/26/18
Hello Verneld- Trans fats are naturally found in small amounts in all animal products. The American Heart Association recommends that you get no more than 1% of your daily calories from trans fats. So, to meet this guideline it is suggested that you avoid the industrial trans fats that are formed when liquid oils are hydrogenated to make them more like saturated fats. These are mostly eliminated from the food supply (due to regulations) however may still be found in some pizza crusts, frostings, baked goods made with margarine, etc. Labels are allowed to contain 0.5g or less of transfats per serving and list it as zero on the label. My thinking as to why the difference in beef is two fold: When it comes to ground beef there are varying different fat contents. For example you can purchase 95% lean beef or 80% lean beef. The leaner the beef, the lower the overall fat content and thus the lower the naturally occurring trans fat content. Sirloin is a leaner cut of beef so in general you will have less total fat, thus less trans fat. Let me know if other questions remain about this? Thanks, Joanna (Dietician)

Dietician 04/26/18 replied to Verneld
Hello Verneld,
To answer your question about caffeine: Since caffeine is not an essential nutrient it is not required by the FDA to be listed on the food label. Some companies make an independent decision to include this information. Most soda has about 45mg of caffeine per 12 oz can. Yet, mountain dew has a higher caffeine content at 55mg caffeine per 12 oz can. All the best to you! Joanna (Dietician)

Trans fat