[Magdalen] If's Started.

[Charles Wohlers]

While margarine traditionally does contain trans-fats, my understanding is 
that today most of them don't.

In order to make a fat solid at room temperature, you need to have the long 
hydrocarbon chains line up with each other. This allows them to get together 
more easily and lowers the melting point. This can happen either with 
saturated fats (no carbon-carbon double bonds), or with trans-fats 
(substituents on the double bonds located across from each other). Naturally 
occurring unsaturated fats (i. e., with one of more double bonds) are always 
cis - meaning the substituents are next to each other, putting a kink in the 
chain. This kink means the chains can't line up easily, and the melting 
point is higher.

So - naturally occurring solid fats, like butter and animal fat, are mostly 
saturated. Liquid fats (oils) are mostly unsaturated. Trans-fats don't occur 
naturally - they're made in a factory. Presumably companies which make 
margarine without trans-fats have simply substituted saturated fats for 
them, as it's hard to make the fat solid otherwise.

BTW, the original use for trans-fats was in Crisco.

Your chemistry lesson for the day -

Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, VT USA
chadwohl at satucket.com


-----Original Message----- 
From: Susan Hagen
Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2015 3:03 PM
To: magdalen
Subject: Re: [Magdalen] If's Started.

When trans fats are banned entirely is that going to mark the end of
margarine?  I won't buy it at all because I loathe it but am pleased to
hear it confirmed that it's not healthy anyway.

Susan

On Sat, Jul 4, 2015 at 3:01 PM, Susan Hagen <susanvhagen at gmail.com> wrote:

> I don't know Homestead but Mt. Crawford's products are excellent.  I do
> indulge occasionally in Amish roll butter.  I'm in Maryland visiting my
> friend Karen and brought her some fresh farm eggs and some Amish butter.
>
> Susan
>
> On Sat, Jul 4, 2015 at 10:24 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> We are butter only, and grass-fed butter if/when we can get it. S/O does
>> not drink milk. I do on occasion, and use it for coffee. I have switched
>> back to whole milk and buy locally a produced and bottled variety (either
>> Mt. Crawford or Homestead, although I prefer Mt. Crawford...that info is
>> for Grace and Susan H.). My grandson is coming next week and doesn't like
>> whole milk so I will switch to 2% for him.
>>