Organic and Sustainable Margarine Manufacturers Make Healthy Choices
It can be a real challenge to find the top quality margarine manufacturers in the United States. For decades now, margarine has been a mainstay of American cooking and there are many different manufacturers of this wonderful food. You have Trader Joe’s, Dorematt, General Foods, and Spectrum Brands as well as smaller companies that make only a small amount of margarine. So what makes a high quality margarine?
Margarine manufacturers often use hydrogenated oils, or trans fats, as a cheaper alternative to butter. Unfortunately, these lower grade vegetable oils are more harmful to your health than butter. The hydrogenated oils are made by using hydrogen as a preservative instead of natural saturated fats. While this is better than using butter, it still contributes to the unhealthy problem known as “bad cholesterol” in the food industry.
The bad cholesterol found in margarine manufacturers’ products contains all types of toxins such as acrylamide, dioxane, and carcinogenic compounds. Trans fats also contribute to the problem, which is why the Natural Products Association has taken legal action against several margarine manufacturers. This group is made up of farmers, food producers, and manufacturers of alternative healthy foods that use alternative vegetable fats instead of hydrogenated oils.
Another problem with margarine manufacturers that should concern consumers is the “food additive” sodium trans fat. This substance commonly used in many processed foods including chips, sausages, and soft spread margarine is actually a substance banned in many places due to the negative health effects it causes. The FDA has even banned the production of salt containing sodium trans fat. Yet, despite the FDA banning its use, the food industry continues to use it. This has led to an increase in people with high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and other health problems.
Due to the many problems with margarine products, food industry experts have suggested that consumers consider healthier alternatives such as olive oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil. There are many organic and sustainable vegetable oils available, however, such alternatives still have to be made in large quantities in order to have any impact on public health. It is also important to remember that the production of margarine products, and other partially hydrogenated oils, do not create any greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions occur when heated, which means that the oil is transferred from the raw plant material to the final product.
The best advice consumers can give to the food industry is to avoid using hydrogenated oils and to replace them with virgin oils that are healthier for you. There are many organic and sustainable vegetable oils available, but they will be costly. By purchasing margarine products from companies that respect the health of their customers, and by using oils produced in a fair manner, the food industry can help improve the health of everyone who consumes their products. With the many different options available, and the current focus on healthy choices, it is not surprising that so many people have recently decided to take control of their health and avoid trans fats.
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