Woo-Hoo!

Thanks to Anna from Cookie Madness for this news! Crisco products now boast of less than zero trans fats per serving. All of their products! That is fantastic news for bakers from all walks of life. According to the press release, the new zero trans fat products are on their way to the market as I type this. So throw out your existing trans fat laden shortening and replace it with the new formulation which promises to behave exactly as the old one did- except that it's better for you heart.

What is so exciting about this to me is that a shortening and oil manufacturer has figured out how to be a zero trans fat product. If they can do it, anyone can do it. I do realize that the less than zero trans fat means that there is still a smidge in there, and they can't call it trans-fat free entirely, but that is so much better than the 2.5 grams per tablespoon that my all-vegetable shortening contributes. And I no longer have to cringe when I make my family a shortening based pie crust- so bring on the pie!

ETA this info I found explaining the difference between fully hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats. I'm certainly not saying to curl up with a bowl of shortening and a spoon, but in the grand scheme of heart health, this is a way better alternative.

"Hydrogenation is the chemical process by which liquid vegetable oil is turned into solid fat. Partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fatty acids, or trans fats, which are more harmful than saturated fats. Trans fats raise levels of bad cholesterol and lower levels of good cholesterol. You can read more on this in my profile of trans fats.

When liquid vegetable oil is fully hydrogenated, however, almost no trans fats remain. The resulting fat is even more solid, taking on a hard, waxy consistency, even at room temperature. Full hydrogenation increases the amount of saturated fat, although much of it is in the form of stearic acid, which is converted by the body to oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, which doesn’t raise levels of bad cholesterol. This makes fully hydrogenated fats less harmful than partially hydrogenated fats."