Important: Trans fat can be industrially produced (often linked to partially hydrogenated oils) or occur naturally in small amounts in some animal-derived foods. The examples below are potential sources—the exact amount varies by product, brand, recipe and country. Always check the ingredient list for “partially hydrogenated oil.”
Fried and Fast Foods
- French fries
- Fried chicken
- Chicken nuggets
- Fried fish
- Fish sticks
- Onion rings
- Mozzarella sticks
- Fried burgers
- Fried sandwiches
- Fried pastries
- Doughnuts
- Churros
- Fried wontons
- Samosas made with shortening
- Commercially fried snacks
Bakery Products
- Packaged cakes
- Frosted cakes
- Cupcakes
- Muffins
- Packaged cookies
- Cream-filled biscuits
- Crackers
- Pie crusts
- Commercial pies
- Pastries
- Danish pastries
- Croissants
- Puff pastry
- Toaster pastries
- Commercial brownies
Biscuits, Wafers and Snacks
- Cream crackers
- Filled wafers
- Chocolate-coated wafers
- Sandwich cookies
- Butter cookies made with shortening
- Snack cakes
- Swiss rolls
- Cream rolls
- Rusk products
- Commercial biscuits
- Cheese crackers
- Flavoured crackers
- Packaged snack mixes
- Microwave popcorn
- Some flavoured popcorn
Margarine and Spreads
- Stick margarine
- Older formulations of margarine
- Vegetable shortening
- Hydrogenated vegetable shortening
- Commercial baking shortening
- Some frosting spreads
- Non-dairy whipped toppings
- Coffee creamers containing partially hydrogenated oils
- Certain non-dairy spreads
- Commercial icing
Frozen and Ready-to-Eat Foods
- Frozen pizza
- Frozen pastries
- Frozen pies
- Frozen fried snacks
- Frozen chicken products
- Frozen French fries
- Ready-made pie crust
- Frozen breakfast sandwiches
- Frozen biscuits
- Commercial frozen desserts
Sweets and Desserts
- Packaged doughnuts
- Cream-filled pastries
- Commercial cakes
- Packaged cupcakes
- Some chocolate coatings
- Candy with hydrogenated fats
- Chocolate-filled biscuits
- Dessert bars
- Ice cream toppings
- Commercial pudding snacks
Breakfast Foods
- Some pancake mixes
- Commercial waffles
- Frozen waffles
- Breakfast pastries
- Packaged cinnamon rolls
- Toaster pastries
- Some granola bars
- Breakfast bars
- Cereal snack bars
- Packaged sweet rolls
Other Potential Sources
- Instant noodles with fried noodles
- Some packaged chips
- Certain namkeen products
- Packaged bhujia
- Commercial bakery bread with shortening
- Fast-food desserts
- Commercial milkshakes
- Some restaurant gravies made with shortening
- Fried street foods cooked in repeatedly used oil
- Commercial parathas
- Frozen parathas
- Packaged ready-to-fry foods
- Commercial puff snacks
- Bakery pizza bases
- Products containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
How to Check for Trans Fat
The most useful step is to check the ingredients list, not just the front-of-pack claim.
Look for:
- Partially hydrogenated oil
- Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
- Hydrogenated vegetable fat
Also note that a product labelled “0 g trans fat” may still contain a small amount per serving, depending on local food-labelling rules.
Bottom Line
The biggest concern is usually industrially produced trans fat, particularly from products containing partially hydrogenated oils. Many foods on this list may now contain little or no industrial trans fat because regulations and reformulation have changed food products. The exact product label is the best way to check.
