Trans Fats (also known as trans fatty acids) are made through an industrial manufacturing process called hydrogenation.

Food manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oils to make them more solid at room temperature and to have a longer shelf life. Although trace amounts of trans fat occur in naturally in some meat and dairy products, the overwhelming amount of trans fat consumed by individuals is artificial (man-made), and artificial trans fats appear to be more harmful than naturally occurring ones.

When we refer to "trans fat" on this website, we mean artificial trans fat.