Hydrogenation is the process of heating oil and passing hydrogen bubbles through it, making it more dense. Partially hydrogenated oil tends to be a favorite among food producers because it gives products a richer flavor and texture, and doesn't cost nearly as much as it would to add butter.

However, hydrogenated oils contain high levels of trans fats, generally 30-40% of trans fatty acids, which is far more than any other natural source.

New research into the role fats and oils play in human health has indicated that trans fatty acids are associated with an increased incidence of cancer, heart disease and elevated cholesterol levels to name a few. This is because trans fats interfere with metabolic absorption, are difficult to excrete from the body, and are a low quality energy source.

Hain Pure Foods does not use hydrogenated oils in any of its products. All our bottled oils are expeller pressed, which means the seeds are crushed to extract the oil. No chemicals are used in this process.

Sources: Cyberparent.com, TreeLight.com and Good Earth (http://users.ap.net/~goodearth/index.html).