反式脂肪 從神奇產品到飲食賤民
Trans fat began as an Industrial Age breakthrough but evolved into a modern-day menace, offering a history in miniature of the food industry.
反式脂肪最初曾是工業時代的一項突破性發明創造，但後來逐漸演變爲現代社會中的一大威脅，反式脂肪可以說是食品行業歷史的一個縮影。When created in the early 1900s, trans fat was the first man-made fat to join America's food supply, according to the American Heart Association. Procter & Gamble Co. took advantage of the cheaper alternative to animal fat, introducing Crisco vegetable shortening. Others soon followed.
反式脂肪是上世紀初被創造出來的，據美國心臟協會(American Heart Association)說，它是第一種進入美國食品供應的人造脂肪。保潔公司(Procter & Gamble Co.)利用這種更廉價的動物脂肪替代品，推出了Crisco蔬菜起酥油。其他公司很快爭相效仿。The invention gave rise to the popularity of margarine, which got a boost from butter rationing during World War II. A few decades later, concern rose about saturated fat in animal products such as beef and butter. Margarine was promoted as a healthier alternative, and food makers switched to partially hydrogenated vegetable oil containing trans fat.
反式脂肪的發明使人造黃油風行起來，二戰期間黃油配給制度推動了人造黃油的使用。幾十年後，人們開始擔心牛肉和黃油等動物產品中的飽和脂肪。人造黃油被宣傳爲一種更加健康的替代品，食品生產商們紛紛改用含有反式脂肪的部分氫化蔬菜油。
But the tide turned with a surgeon general's report in 1990 that publicized the harmful effects of trans fat. It was a classic case of food-advice whiplash, as the previously demonized butter turned out to be not so bad by comparison.
但1990年美國一位衛生局局長的報告公佈了反式脂肪的害處，反式脂肪的命運隨之逆轉。這是食品建議給產品造成打擊的一個典型案例，後來發現這種之前被妖魔化的黃油相比之下其實並不是那麼有害。From that time on, trans fat was on a downward slope, but some food makers found it difficult to wean themselves from it without sacrificing taste or shelf life.
從那時起，反式脂肪就走上了下坡路，但一些食品生產商發現很難戒除反式脂肪，因爲若不使用反式脂肪，食品的口味或保質期就會打折扣。When McDonald's Corp. announced in 2002 it would try to reduce the trans fat in its fries, people flooded its customer-service line with complaints about how the fries tasted -- even though nothing had yet changed. So when the company later began testing new oils, it didn't tell consumers.
2002年麥當勞(McDonald's Corp.)宣佈將嘗試減少薯條中反式脂肪的使用，當時顧客把麥當勞的客服電話都打爆了，大家紛紛抱怨薯條味道大不如前──儘管當時薯條的炸制用油還未發生任何變化。有了這樣的前車之鑑，麥當勞後來開始試用新油時，沒有告知消費者。Some noticed nonetheless. After testing a new oil in Los Angeles, McDonald's received complaints that its fries were coming out covered in a milky residue and turned soggy quickly. The fast-food giant did more testing before arriving at an oil that produced crispy, golden fries. The company didn't announce that its fries nationwide were free of trans fat until well after they already were in restaurants.
不過仍有人注意到了。麥當勞在洛杉磯試用了一種新油，之後就接到了投訴，有人說薯條包裹着一層乳白色的殘留物，很快就變得軟趴趴。這家快餐巨頭進行了更多的嘗試，之後終於找到了一種能炸製出脆脆的金黃色薯條的油。直到麥當勞餐廳使用新油炸制薯條後很久，該公司才宣佈其在全美各地提供的薯條不含反式脂肪。Kraft Foods likewise was stealthy when it rolled out trans fat-free Oreos in 2006. The reformulated cookies quietly hit store shelves with no indication beyond the required disclosure on the Nutrition Facts label.
同樣，2006年卡夫食品(Kraft Foods)推出不含反式脂肪的奧利奧餅乾時，也沒有聲張。配方經過調整的奧利奧餅乾悄然上市，除按要求在標籤的營養成分表中註明成分外，並沒有額外的標註。By the mid-2000s, consumer concern had risen enough that any use of trans fat risked a corporation's image, said Harry Balzer, a food analyst with NPD Group.
NPD Group食品分析師鮑爾澤(Harry Balzer)說，2005年前，消費者的擔憂上升到了相當嚴重的程度，任何使用反式脂肪的做法都可能令企業的形象受損。The Center for Science in the Public Interest took advantage of public opinion in July after discovering high levels of trans fat in food at some Long John Silver's restaurants. The chain's 'Big Catch' meal -- fish, hush puppies and onion rings, all fried -- contained 33 grams of trans fat, the center said, based on the chain's own nutrition disclosures.
公共利益科學中心(Center for Science in the Public)發現Long John Silver部分餐廳提供的食品中反式脂肪含量很高，之後在今年7月利用了輿論的力量。該中心說，根據該連鎖餐廳披露的營養成分信息，其“Big Catch”套餐──由魚、油炸玉米餅和洋蔥圈組成，全部都是油炸的──含有33克反式脂肪。The center issued a news release calling it the worst restaurant meal in America. Long John Silver's said it would get rid of trans fat in all of its U.S. restaurants by the end of the year.
該中心發佈了一份新聞稿，稱這是美國最糟糕的餐廳套餐。Long John Silver說，其在美國的全部餐廳將在年底前停止使用反式脂肪。
