Argh! Trans fats in coffee

We were actually talking about the roti prata at the restaurant being microwaved (a minus point for Saravanna Bhavan!) when the husband said something about trans fats. Perhaps he misunderstood that microwaving produces trans fats, but no matter, all of us ought to avoid both anyway.

I asked why he was concerned about trans fats. He said he was “old” - actually he looked only late 50s or early 60s at most - and he needed to watch his health. Good for him.

And I am much encouraged that I had met a total stranger who shared similar concerns. What’s the likelihood of that happenning. There must be a reason for our chance meeting. The word for it is serendipity.

Anyway, our convesation drifted to the subject of coffee. And then trans fats came up again – trans fats in coffee!

I had totally forgotten all about it, but the “local” coffee that I enjoy is usually brewed from coffee beans roasted with sugar and margarine! Argh!

The fact that there is trans fats in coffee upsets me. It's not even trans fats in coffee with non-dairy creamer, but in black coffee!

It not only shows how pervalent trans fats are, but also how well hidden they are.

If someone like me, who makes effort to avoid consuming trans fats, still ends up taking trans fats in coffee without realising, what about others?

Do my fellow citizens deserve to be poisoned just because they are not extra careful? More and more, I am beginning to feel that a ban on trans fats is a must.

Labelling alone won’t do. Unless my cup of kopi-O-kosong or kopi-O sui tai comes with a Nutrition Facts Label.

Posted 2 February 2007