Oil labels sometimes quite slick

By Chicago Tribune  • 

The shelves of vegetable oil at the supermarket are crowded with the usual suspects: corn, olive, peanut, soybean, canola, safflower, sunflower and so on.

Yet, with labels such as “Cholesterol Free,” “0g Trans Fat” and “Natural,” confusion reigns.

To help translate a few of the terms, registered dietitian Marisa Moore — spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association — was consulted.

Q: What does vegetable oil really mean?

A: Most of the time, when you see the term vegetable oil, it refers to soybean oil.

Take a look at the ingredient list, and, more often than not, you’ll see soybean oil listed as the only ingredient. (If) you see a combination of soybean oil plus canola oil or safflower oil, for example, it’s a blend of different plant-based oils.

Q: Why do some labels indicate an absence of cholesterol? Isn’t cholesterol found only in animal products?

A: The goal might be to attract those who are trying to lower their cholesterol who may not understand that vegetable oil doesn’t naturally have cholesterol in it.

Q: Do vegetable oils have trans fats?

A: There wouldn’t be trans fats in liquid vegetable oils. When you get into solid vegetable oils — the partially hydrogenated ones such as shortening products — then, yes, you will get trans fats there.

Q: What about natural? Does the government have an accepted definition?

A: Sometimes the term natural is used as a marketing tool. That may mean they haven’t added anything to it. Because there’s no set definition, you can’t really tell.

Q: Any last bit of advice?

A: Stick with heart-healthy oils — olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil. Then look at reducing the amount.

A lot of people don’t realize that heart-healthy oils help to lower your total cholesterol levels versus saturated ones that increase them.