Vani Hari aka Food Babe on CNN Live Talking Trans Fat
What this video covers
This November 2013 CNN segment features Vani Hari, then a rising food blogger known as the Food Babe, discussing the Food and Drug Administration’s announcement that partially hydrogenated oils — the main source of artificial trans fat — were no longer “generally recognized as safe.” The announcement, made November 7, 2013, set the agency on a path to phasing trans fats out of the American food supply.
In the interview, Hari walks viewers through where trans fats hide on labels and restaurant menus. She cites the CDC’s estimate, repeated in the video’s description, that eliminating trans fat could prevent roughly 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths each year — figures she presents as the stakes of the FDA’s move. She explains the labeling loophole she says is key: a product can claim “0g trans fat” if it has under 0.5 grams per serving, so shoppers must check the ingredients for “partially hydrogenated” oils — she uses Pop Secret popcorn as the example, noting that multiple servings stack up.
Hari also points to less obvious sources. In a companion interview with Metro US around the same time, she said monoglycerides and diglycerides can contain trans fat even though the FDA classifies them as emulsifiers, and she named Chipotle’s burrito shells as a surprising restaurant source. Her practical advice to viewers: ask restaurants which oils they use before ordering.
Key points
- Hari appeared on CNN days after the FDA’s November 7, 2013 preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils were not GRAS (generally recognized as safe).
- She cites the CDC’s estimate that removing trans fats could prevent roughly 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths annually — attributed to the CDC.
- She warns that trans fat hides in mono- and diglycerides, which she notes the FDA classifies as “emulsifiers” rather than flagging their trans-fat content.
- She names Chipotle burrito shells as an unexpected source of trans fat, telling Metro US: “If you go to Chipotle, don’t get the burrito – get the salads.”
- Her advice to viewers: ask restaurants what oils they fry in before ordering.
- Context: the FDA finalized the determination in 2015, giving manufacturers until 2018 to remove partially hydrogenated oils from food.