The story starts way back when the food industry figured that to keep food on the shelf longer, it needed to have a fat in it to preserve it for longer, and trans fat also known as hydrogenated fat was developed. So this is not a fat from nature to begin with, and it does not break down in the digestive system the way nature intended for food to be digested. So what is wrong with that picture? Exactly that! It is a fat that is not broken down by our digestive system and therefore clogs our arteries with fats that cause heart disease and other issues such as digestive disorders. Now it has already gotten better than it was, since trans fats were banned from use in restaurants back in 2006, but it is still found in packaged foods, such as cookies, frosting, packaged pies, pizza, frozen foods, and coffee creamers.
Now as much as I would wish there was a total ban the way some European countries have dealt with the issue, at this point the FDA is proposing that partially hydrogenated oils, or trans fats, are no longer able to be in the “generally considered safe” category, which means that the food industry would have to prove that they are safe to eat...and that would be hard to do. So in a way we have come a long way if we assume they cannot prove they are safe, but really what this begs for is that the FDA takes the step to actually BAN THESE FATS.
Now what you can do is: read the labels, choose whole foods and real foods instead of processed, avoid packaged fried food, and... choose plant fats, such as oils, coconut oil, or if animal fats – at least real butter from free-ranging cows...that also means organic. However for your overall health, olive oil, coconut oil, un-toasted sesame, and nut oils are still your better choice.