A company marketing food products advertises that its items do not contain trans fats. What does this campaign signify to the customers?
- 1.The food products are not made out of hydrogenated oils.
- 2.The food products are not made out of animal fats/oils.
- 3.The oils used are not likely to damage the cardiovascular health of the consumers.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Industrial trans fat is produced by partially hydrogenating liquid oils, so a 'no trans fat' claim signals that such hydrogenated oils were not used. Trans fat clogs arteries and raises the risk of heart attacks, so oils free of it are unlikely to harm the heart. The claim says nothing about whether animal fats were used. Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
- ✓ 1. Trans fat is produced industrially by the partial hydrogenation of liquid oils, mostly vegetable oils. A product free of trans fat therefore signals that partially hydrogenated oils were not used.
- ✗ 2. A trans-fat-free claim describes how much trans fat the product contains, not where its fat comes from. It does not tell the customer that animal fats or oils were left out.
- ✓ 3. Trans fat clogs arteries, which increases the risk of heart attacks and deaths. Oils free of trans fat are therefore not likely to damage the consumer's cardiovascular health.
Remember · Industrial trans fat comes from partially hydrogenated oils, as in vanaspati, margarine and shortening. It also occurs naturally in meat and dairy from ruminant animals. It clogs arteries and raises the risk of heart attacks.
Sources
- WHO Fact Sheet: Trans fat ↗ “Trans fat is produced industrially by the partial hydrogenation of any liquid oils, in most cases vegetable oils, but also occurs naturally in meat and dairy products from ruminant animals. … Trans fat clogs arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and deaths.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2011, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
