Girl Scout Cookies Dump Most Trans Fats
This year's supply of Girl Scout cookies will come nearly free of
trans fats, as the organization's bakers join cities, restaurants and
fast-food outlets across the United States who have already made the
switch to more healthy ingredients.
Marking their 90th year in the cookie business, the Scouts will also
offer a sugar-free cookie called the Little Brownie. Another cookie,
the Cartwheel, was introduced last year with reduced saturated fat, the
Associated Press reported Friday. Every variety of Girl Scout
cookie now meets U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards, based on
serving sizes that range from four Thin Mints to two Samoas or Caramel
deLites, the
AP reported.
Denise J. Pessich, vice president of Girl Scouts of the USA, told
the wire service that the switch was made only after the two commercial
bakeries that make the treats found alternatives that didn't compromise
the flavor, texture or shelf life of the cookies. The cookies, in fact,
still contain a small amount of trans fat -- less than half a gram per
serving -- but that's low enough to qualify for a "zero grams of trans
fat" label under FDA rules. Pessich added that consumers should notice
few differences.
One warning was sounded, however, by Michael Jacobson, executive
director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "If it says
zero grams, but contains partially hydrogenated oil, people should know
it does contain a little bit of trans fat," Jacobson said. "If somebody
ate several servings of those foods a day, someone could consume 2 or 3
grams of trans fat, which is significant."
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