Crystallizers: The crystalclear answer to trans fat-free margarine production Palsgaard has examined how crystallizers can step in to fill the production performance gap left by slowly crystallizing, trans fatty acid-free margarines. By Anders Mølbak Jensen, Product & Application Manager, Lipid & Fine Foods Palsgaard A/S. PUBLIC ENEMY: TRANS FATS For the origins of the fight against partially hydrogenated fats and the trans fatty acids they produce, we have to go back to the early nineties. That’s when a famed Harvard Medical School paper was released, reporting the results of a long-term epidemiological study that tracked, among other factors, the dietary habits of almost 80,000 female nurses1. The study was considered by many to be a landmark in the fight against coronary disease. The Harvard research team, led by Dr. Walter Willett, arrived at a number of eye-opening conclusions, one of which is that trans fats present a significant health risk, with higher risks of cardiovascular disease already registered at daily trans fatty acid intake levels of just 5 to 6 grams. Further research has pointed to an ability of saturated fat and trans fats to raise the level of Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL) in the blood. Excess LDL particles are deposited in the arteries, lead- ing to hardening of the arteries and heart disease over time2. Simultaneously, trans fats appear to decrease High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL), further increasing the risk of heart disease. Other studies have indicated that a high intake of saturated fats and trans fats promotes insulin resistance, too, threatening consumers with Type 2 diabetes. INSTANT EFFECT ON THE INDUSTRY The impact of the Harvard study, and follow-up research, on the food 1
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