Beware of Who You Believe About Health Information

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The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recently slammed several of the Newman's Own line of food products for misleading statements about the health benefits of palm oil. The organization believes the effect of listing various claims on a label tricks consumers into believing palm oil is healthy.

Labels on some products list that palm oil has no trans-fatty acids, isn't hydrogenated and is lower in saturated fat than butter with no cholesterol. CSPI argues such claims make it seem as though palm oil is healthy when it isn't. Such statements drew CSPI's ire when they were listed alongside other claims that tout palm oil's widespread use in Europe and that the oil was extracted not from the kernel, but from the fruit of the palm.

Newman's Own line also claims the composition of palm oil is 50 percent saturated fat compared to palm kernel oil or coconut oil. But CSPI believes that claim is misleading too, because palmitic acid is the source of much of the saturated fat found in palm oil and what some believe to be more conducive to heart disease.

On the other hand, more of the saturated fat in coconut oil and palm kernel is made up of lauric and myristic acids.

Due to a recent FDA ruling, companies are required to list the presence of trans fat on a food's Nutrition Facts label. As a result, some firms are reformulating their food products to lower or get rid of partially hydrogenated oil. In fact, CSPI has urged manufacturers to switch to other healthy oils like canola, soybean, corn and sunflower.

CSPI has also petitioned the FDA twice over the last four months to prohibit the use of partially hydrogenated oil and to require restaurants to reveal their use.

Center for Science in the Public Interes August 4, 2004

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