Arrrghhh - dilemma!!!

Trow

I am making pastry today, and have discovered an old block of cookeen in the fridge, use by now. Was cutting it up to use it and decided to look at the ingredients - vegetable oils and hydrogenated vegetable oils. Thats it.

Now, I made a decision a while back (after that purchase) not to use anything with hydrogenated oils because of the health effects, don't want my kids to have long term clogged arteries (for those that are not aware, simply put, hyrogenation makes a liquid oil into a solid one by making it 'sticky'. The problem is, that same stickiness also makes it cling to arteries)

If I need to buy marg and the only ones available have hydrogenated oils, I go to another shop, for me it is that important.

Do I use it this once, or do I bin it and use butter? I hate the waste, but I also hate the ingredients...

Murtle

hmm I would say it depends on how strongly you feel about it?! if it is that strong, then bin it....

I don't know if it could be used to feed birds?? or would it clog their arteries too??

skylight

I think you've answered your own question!

If the ingredients are "Really" that important to you, you should have binned it already.

I too hate waste, but hated myself more when I went against my morals once.

Trow

Yeah, I just spent the time just now online reminding myself of the facts of hydrogenated oils - its not worth it.

And I wouldn't feed it to the birds - vegetable oil isn't supposed to be good for them (laxative effects). In the bin it goes.

skylight

What was it doing on the fridge anyway??? :think:

pandas66

Wise move principals are principals. I think without them we all fall fowl to 'whatever' syndrome.

Trow

As I said - I bought it some time ago - before I knew about the problems associated with hydrogenated oils.

Curry_Queen

I think for one off use it doesn't really matter and it isn't going to affect people's arteries by eating products made with just the one block. It's constant use over long periods of time that pose the health risks, so personally I would have used it. But at the same time it's obviously a very important issue for you, so if it makes you feel better to ditch it and use a healthier product then I don't see a problem with that either

margaret_3

Trow wrote:

I am making pastry today, and have discovered an old block of cookeen in the fridge, use by now. Was cutting it up to use it and decided to look at the ingredients - vegetable oils and hydrogenated vegetable oils. Thats it.

Now, I made a decision a while back (after that purchase) not to use anything with hydrogenated oils because of the health effects, don't want my kids to have long term clogged arteries (for those that are not aware, simply put, hyrogenation makes a liquid oil into a solid one by making it 'sticky'. The problem is, that same stickiness also makes it cling to arteries)

If I need to buy marg and the only ones available have hydrogenated oils, I go to another shop, for me it is that important.

Do I use it this once, or do I bin it and use butter? I hate the waste, but I also hate the ingredients...

Trow! Would you believe it? I had the same problem last Sunday---my baking day! As I was about to use cookeen, something I've used for years, I decided to look at the ingredients and horror of horrors, I discovered the same as you! Well, fortunately I had plenty butter so out went the cookeen plus the other packs I had in the fridge. Although I also hate waste, health is much more important to me. My husband has had a heart attack so it was irresponsible of me not to have looked before this. After all, I read all the ingredients of stuff I buy in the supermarket.
We have learnt a lesson and I hope others have too.
Margaret

soba

I agree about hydrogenated veg fat. We avoid it now, buying Olivio instead of other margarines, etc. You don't realise how much stuff it's in, our old fave, Heinz sponge puds has it so we don't buy them now, I think I'm right in saying ready-made pastry also has it - not that I would use it of course............I just read it somewhere!!
The only time we struggle is when we eat out (not very often) cos then you really don't know what's in your food.

Trow

There are a few spreads/margarines that don't have it - the ones that come to mind are I can't believe its not butter, Vitalite (don't usually use it, but ran out and the local shop stocks it), Pure and Flora Buttery (not sure about other Flora spreads).

The one manufacturer that *really* hacks me off that uses is it the Linda McCartney products. You would have thought better of them!