Partially hydrogenated oil (PHOs)
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The usual substrate is a vegetable oil. A label that says partially hydrogenated lard would be animal, and that is not the ordinary wording.
It is a fat, with no carbohydrate. The health rating is still avoid.
Controversial, restricted or banned somewhere.
Rules by country
In June 2015 the FDA determined that partially hydrogenated oils are not GRAS for any use in human food. Most manufacturing had to stop by 18 June 2018, and the final compliance date for remaining uses was 1 January 2021. A direct final rule effective 22 December 2023 removed the leftover permissions in standards of identity and old GRAS listings. Canada prohibited PHOs on 15 September 2018. The EU did not ban the named oil. Regulation (EU) 2019/649 caps industrial trans fat at 2 grams per 100 grams of fat, in force from April 2021. Natural trans fat in meat and dairy is outside that story.
What is it?
The fat was soft at room temperature, which made it useful in shortening, margarine and fryers. That texture was the trans fat. Fully hydrogenated oil and high-oleic liquid oils took the jobs over.
Where it comes from: Partial hydrogenation bubbles hydrogen through a liquid vegetable oil until some of the unsaturated bonds flip or saturate. The oil turns semi-solid and stable, and a large share of the remaining double bonds are in the trans shape. Those industrial trans fats are why regulators removed the process from the food supply. Fully hydrogenated oil is a different product, much harder and very low in trans fat.
Why it’s in food
- Used to firm margarine and shortening
- Used to extend fryer oil
- Used to stabilize a filling
- No longer has a legal use in US or Canadian food
Often found in
Also listed as: Partially hydrogenated oil, Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, PHO
Health & gut impact
Controlled feeding studies and long-running population studies convinced the FDA that PHOs raise LDL cholesterol and should not be GRAS. The 2015 determination says they are not GRAS for any use in human food.
FDA final determination on partially hydrogenated oils, June 2015
Meat and dairy contain small amounts of trans fat made by rumen bacteria. The FDA's action addresses the industrial oil, not those foods.
FDA, trans fat page
What can I use instead?
Ratio: It stays liquid
Best for: Frying
Ratio: It is naturally semi-solid and brings saturated fat instead
Best for: A bakery shortening
Related
More emulsifiers:
Common questions
Is partially hydrogenated oil banned?
In the US it is no longer GRAS, with final compliance in 2021. Canada prohibited it in 2018. The EU limits industrial trans fat to 2 g per 100 g of fat.
Is fully hydrogenated oil the same thing?
No. Full hydrogenation leaves very little trans fat. Partial hydrogenation is the process that created the trans-fat problem.
Is Partially hydrogenated oil safe?
Best to avoid (22/100). In June 2015 the FDA determined that partially hydrogenated oils are not GRAS for any use in human food. Most manufacturing had to stop by 18 June 2018, and the final compliance date for remaining uses was 1 January 2021. A direct final rule effective 22 December 2023 removed the leftover permissions in standards of identity and old GRAS listings. Canada prohibited PHOs on 15 September 2018. The EU did not ban the named oil. Regulation (EU) 2019/649 caps industrial trans fat at 2 grams per 100 grams of fat, in force from April 2021. Natural trans fat in meat and dairy is outside that story.
Is Partially hydrogenated oil vegan?
Yes. The usual substrate is a vegetable oil. A label that says partially hydrogenated lard would be animal, and that is not the ordinary wording.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- FDA final determination on partially hydrogenated oils, June 2015
- FDA, trans fat page