Trans fats and saturated fats

In short: Saturated fats and trans fats raise the level of “bad” LDL cholesterol. Trans fats are particularly unfavourable.

In more detail: Saturated fats are found in butter, palm oil, coconut oil, sausage and cheese. Industrial trans fats arise when vegetable oils are partially hardened, for example in frying fat and some baked goods. In the EU, since 2021 at most 2 g trans fat per 100 g fat is allowed.

Our context: The product scanner recognises “hydrogenated” and “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient list and deducts strongly.

In Depth

• Natural trans fats: in small amounts in milk and meat of ruminants, less critical.
• Recommendation: Limit saturated fat to under 10 % of energy and replace it with unsaturated fats from vegetable oils, nuts and fish.
• In the table: “of which saturates”. More than 5 g per 100 g counts as high.
• Good fats: omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish, linseed oil, walnuts.

See also: Palm oil, Reading the nutrition table