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Your readers/viewers/listeners need to learn how to read the new nutrition labels that the FDA is requiring in 2006. Starting January 1, The FDA requires food manufacturers to reveal which foods contain trans fats.

But while the stuff you buy in the store will be relabeled, the food you buy in restaurants might contain the same old unhealthy oils. The DesMoines Register points out:

Major restaurant chains such as McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen have been much slower in cutting back on their use of frying and baking oils that contain artery-clogging trans fats, according to a survey of the industry by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group.

A nutrition-labeling requirement that takes effect Jan. 1 prompted cookie makers such as Kraft, maker of Oreos, to eliminate trans fats, but the federal rule applies only to packaged products and not to foods sold in restaurants.

Restaurants "don't feel any pressure" to stop using the partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that contain trans fats, said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the center.

He said that continuing to use those oils "is like selling a car without seat belts."

Katherine Kim, a spokeswoman for the National Restaurant Association, said the industry is "actively working to reduce the amount of trans fat." 

The FDA says:

The Food and Drug Administration has required that saturated fat and dietary cholesterol be listed on food labels since 1993. Starting Jan. 1, 2006, listing of trans fat will be required as well. With trans fat added to the Nutrition Facts panel, you will know for the first time how much of all three -- saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol -- are in the foods you choose. Identifying saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol on the food label gives you information you need to make food choices that help reduce the risk of CHD [coronary heart disease]. This revised label will be of particular interest to people concerned about high blood cholesterol and heart disease.

 

However, everyone should be aware of the risk posed by consuming too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. But what is trans fat, and how can you limit the amount of this fat in your diet?

 

Basically, trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil -- a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats.

 

Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Unlike other fats, the majority of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in dairy products, some meat, and other animal-based foods.

 

Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL cholesterol that increases your risk for CHD. Americans consume on average four to five times as much saturated fat as trans fat in their diets.

 

Although saturated fat is the main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also contribute significantly.

Here is some FDA background:

• What are fats and fatty acids?
• What are the main types of fatty acids?
• What is trans fat?
• What is the role of fat in the diet?
• Are all fats the same?
• What about cholesterol?

Foods that Contain Trans Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol

• What is the daily trans fat intake of Americans?
• What foods contain saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol?
• Should trans fat be eliminated from the diet?
• What actions can consumers take to lower their intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol?
• Do dietary supplements contain trans fat?

FDA's Regulation on Trans Fat Labeling

• How will the nutrition label be different?
• Why is there no %DV for trans fat?
• Is it possible for a food product to list the amount of trans fat as 0 g on the Nutrition Facts panel when the ingredient list indicates that it contains "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil"?
• What about nutrient content claims for trans fat?
• What are the highlights of the trans fat rule?
• When can I expect to find the amount of trans fat listed on the nutrition label?
• What is the scientific evidence that supports this rule?
• How do I find more detailed information about this rule?
• Is the FDA considering any other regulations about nutrition labeling of trans fatty acids?

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Memorable Editorial Cartoons of 2005

Here is a great collection.

 

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Memorable Front Pages of 2005

Here are some of the front pages that reflected this crazy year. From Hurricane Katrina to Rosa Park's death to the death of the Pope to America's return to space, the front pages collection is interesting reading.   

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The Year that Weather Ruled

You remember Wilma, Katrina and Rita because they had 175 mile per hour winds and made non-stop news. But the Palm Beach Post pulled together this list of the storms you may not recall.

 

Arlene	June 8-12	Tropical storm	70 mph	Recap		Coordindates, map
Season's fist named storm hit Florida's Panhandle but caused little damage in area still recovering from 2004.
Bret	June 28-29	Tropical storm	40 mph	Recap		Coordindates, map
Developed rapidly in southwestern Gulf and caused flooding and some deaths along the Mexico coast.
Cindy	July 3-6	Tropical storm	70 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Formed in the northwest Caribbean and stuck Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with strong winds and rain.
Dennis	July 5-11	Hurricane	150 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Struck near Pensacola as a Category 3 hurricane with a 12-foot storm surge reported 150 miles to the east.
Emily	July 10-21	Hurricane	155 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Slammed Grenada and Jamaica before lashing Mexico just south of the U.S.
Franklin	July 21-29	Tropical storm	70 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Wobbled over the Caribbean and Atlantic for a week before threatening Bermuda and moving out to sea.
Gert	July 23-25	Tropical storm	45 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
The northeastern Mexico area still recovering from Emily was hit again with heavy rain and wind.
Harvey	Aug. 2-8	Tropical storm	65 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
The earliest eighth named storm on record dumped 11 inches of rain on Bermuda before moving out to sea.
Irene	Aug. 4-18	Hurricane	100 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Never threatened the U.S. mainland but survived in the open ocean for 15 days, peaking as a Category 2.
Jose	Aug. 22-23	Tropical storm	50 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Survived less than a day in the Bay of Campeche in the southwestern Gulf before moving inland over central Mexico.
Lee	Aug. 28-Sept. 1	Tropical storm	40 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Weak system spent most of its life as a depression east of Bermuda and west of the Azores.
Maria	Sept. 1-10	Hurricane	115 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
The season's fifth hurricane lingered in the Atlantic east-northeast of Bermuda but never threatened land.
Nate	Sept. 5-10	Hurricane	90 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Bermuda was threatened but Nate gradually moved away and lost its tropical characteristics.
Ophelia	Sept. 6-17	Hurricane	85 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Florida and other Southeast states threatened but North Carolina was eventual target and was lashed for several days.
Philippe	Sept. 17-23	Hurricane	80 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Remained far out at sea before dissipating south-southeast of Bermuda.
Stan	Oct. 1-5	Hurricane	80 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Mexico's Gulf coast was slammed while mudslides devastated Guatemala, killing more than 600.
Tammy	Oct. 5-6	Tropical storm	50 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Landfall was in North Florida but flooding spread into Georgia and the Carolinas, then New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Vince	Oct. 9-11	Hurricane	75 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
The first hurricane or tropical storm ever known to hit Spain.
Alpha	Oct. 22-24	Tropical storm	50 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Broke the record for the most named storms in an Atlantic season and made landfall in the Dominican Republic.
Beta	Oct. 27-31	Hurricane	115 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Hit Nicaragua's remote Caribbean coastline after lashing a tiny Caribbean island.
Gamma	Nov. 13-19	Tropical storm	45 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Was forecast to follow Wilma's path to Florida but turned south after lashing Central America.
Delta	Nov. 23-28	Tropical storm	70 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Large storm in central Atlantic drifted east, caused deaths and damage in Spain's Canary Islands.
Epsilon	Nov. 29-Dec. 8	Hurricane	85 mph	Recap		Coordinates, map
Became a hurricane two days after the season ended but never threatened land.

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Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible.