I don't really go and hunt down foods that advertise themselves at being super low in fat, prefering just to eat naturally healthy things. But this whole 98% fat free thing was bothering me a little.
Does 98% fat free mean the fat content of an item is only 2%? In which case say, something proclaiming to be 98% fat free (with <5g fat apparently) mean that ok, if 2% is fat, the other 98% must be other things like protein and carbs? This just doesn't strike me as right. If 2% is 5g, 1% would be 2.5g, therefore 98% would be 245g of protein or carbs. This is obviously impossible for the item in question - a filled bagel.
So am I completely misinterpretting the way "x% fat free" is supposed to be interpretted, or is it just a case of blatant false advertising?
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Thread: "98% fat free" question
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05-11-2004, 02:15 AM #1
"98% fat free" question
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05-11-2004, 04:06 AM #2
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05-11-2004, 06:55 AM #3
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05-11-2004, 06:59 AM #4
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Originally posted by ratmonkey
it tells you that there is only 2% of the normal amount of fat present in that "light" food product.(they/them) #ProudVegan We can beat this! Triple Vax. Wear Two Masks (one FFP2/3). Get a Covid Passport. Don't forget your Booster(s)! Asymptomatic long covid survivor
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05-11-2004, 08:08 AM #5
Nope guys. 98% fat free means that only 2% of the cals come from fat. Look @ a sugar cookie. There was never that much fat to take out...but they still say 98% fat free. If you add the #'s up and it doesn't work, then the co. is lying about something...either the % or total cals. This is not uncommon.
Hit the Wall, Tear it Down!! - Wildman
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05-11-2004, 08:46 AM #6
No. No. No. This just means that two-per-cent of the product's mass consists of fat. Some of it consists of carbs; some of it consists of protein; and much of it consists of water.
Consider the contents of a protein shake. How heavy is the actual protein powder, opposed to the water it's mixed with? The powder usually consists of 25-or-so grams of protein, a few grams of carbs, and a few grams of fat. The water, however, accounts for a majority of the mass.
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05-11-2004, 09:03 AM #7
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05-11-2004, 11:38 AM #8
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05-12-2004, 05:44 AM #9
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05-12-2004, 05:52 AM #10
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http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/reform4.htm
Here is a good article that helps with label deciphering. About halfway down the page it speaks a little about how to understand the fat content of fat free items.
Basically if the items says it is 98% fat free, that is the percent free per 100 grams of that food item. So basically it has 2 grams of fat per 100 grams of substance.
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05-12-2004, 03:12 PM #11
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