The trans fat content of foods has been required since 2006 on all labels for foods that contain at least half a gram of total fat per serving. You now see total fat printed in bold type, followed by trans fat. Saturated and monounsaturated fat may be listed on some labels as well. Do we really need this much information?

What are the different types of fat?

Total fat is just that: the amount of all fat in one portion of food. It's important if you're counting calories because fat contains more calories than protein or carbohydrates. People on a low-fat diet, usually to reduce risk of heart disease, also pay attention to the total amount of fat in foods.

Saturated fat is a type of fat that tends to be more solid at room temperature, such as the fat in meat and chicken. Saturated fat raises our body's level of cholesterol and contributes to heart disease. Saturated fat intake should generally be as low as possible.

Trans fatty acids are produced when food manufacturers change a liquid oil to a solid fat, for example, when they make stick margarine or solid shortening. Trans fats increase levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and, at the same time, decrease HDL ("good"). It's now believed that trans fats are worse for our heart than even saturated fat.

How much trans fat should we consume?

The short answer: as little as possible There is no percentage daily value listed for trans fatty acids because research hasn't found a safe lower level of trans fats. At this point, the recommendation is to consume as little trans fat as you can, preferably none.