Are hydrogenated oils taken into account in the scoring?

Yes, the presence of hydrogenated oil in a product does have a negative impact on the scoring of American, Canadian and Australian products.

Hydrogenated oils are obtained through an industrial process that makes the oil solid at room temperature and provides a less expensive alternative to animal fats such as butter. They are found in many processed foods, in two forms:

• Partially hydrogenated oils, which are particularly concerning because they are the main source of industrial trans fatty acids in our diet. According to the WHO, a high intake of trans fatty acids increases the risk of death from all causes combined, and in particular the risk of coronary heart disease. European and American studies have also shown an association between trans fatty acid intake and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Fully hydrogenated oils are a bit less problematic because they generally contain less than 2% trans fatty acids (compared with 25 to 45% for partially hydrogenated oils). However, according to the WHO, even very small amounts of trans fatty acids can have harmful effects.

In the United States and Canada, although partially hydrogenated oils are banned, there is no specific limit on the trans fatty acid content of fully hydrogenated oils. And there is no restriction in Australia, where they are however used less. In these countries, it is possible to find higher amounts of trans fatty acids than in Europe, where the trans fatty acid content has been limited to 2% of fats since 2019.

This is why hydrogenated oils are only taken into account in the score of American, Canadian and Australian products, as follows:

• Partially hydrogenated oils are evaluated as high-risk (red dot), which has an impact of -30 points on the product’s overall score. These products cannot have a score higher than 49/100.
• Fully hydrogenated oils are considered to present a moderate risk (orange dot), which has an impact of -15 points on the product’s overall score.

The sources on hydrogenated oils analyzed by Yuka’s scientific team are available here.