Store Bought Cakes: Delicious or Deadly?

Whenever a birthday or other special engagement comes up, many people head straight to the bakery to purchase a cake. With all of the creative decorations and plentiful flavors, store bought cakes aren't only attractive, but they taste great as well. But ask almost anyone buying these cakes what the complete ingredient list is and most can only name a few of them. Others don't even care what the ingredients are as long as it looks and tastes good, they're going to buy it. The delectable, moist cakes, with creamy and buttery frosting are to die for-literally. With all of the dangerous ingredients, including but not limited to: artificial flavors, preservatives, trans-fat, dyes, and many more, it isn't worth consuming these seemingly harmless cakes.

What is trans-fat, anyway? And what's the big deal about it?

Many people ask these questions all the time. Trans-fat, short for trans-fatty acids, is what forms after altering the chemical compound of liquid oil during a hydrogenation process which solidifies the oil, making it into shortening or margarine. This process makes the lipid convenient for use in food, yet extremely unhealthy to people. Many foods contain this man-made fat: cakes, cookies crackers, pizza, and a great deal more. According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA,) who starting January of 2006 required that all packaged food manufacturers list the amount of trans-fats in their products, trans-fat has been proven to directly contribute to a host of serious illnesses such as gallstones, liver disease, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, and many others. The FDA passed this new rule in hopes that manufacturers would be encouraged to alter their recipes to exclude this dangerous fat, as well as to inform consumers of exactly what they're putting into their bodies. The FDA has obviously made a very wise decision because since the January of 2006, manufacturers have been creating healthier versions of certain foods, and even some organic versions.

Is butter really butter?