Tropical Oil Phase Out: Nabisco Brands Inc....

Tropical Oil Phase Out: Nabisco Brands Inc. has indicated that it has been phasing highly saturated tropical oils out of its products since 1987, responding to a multimillionaire health activist’s recent attacks on the cookie and cracker maker over the issue. In a letter to Omaha-based activist Phil Sokolof, a Nabisco executive said the company has been seeking to reduce the amount of saturated fats in its products. Saturated fats can increase blood cholesterol levels; high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attacks. Sokolof, 66, blames high cholesterol for the near-fatal heart attack he suffered 22 years ago. Eleven other food giants, including General Mills Inc., Pillsbury Co., Quaker Oats Co. and Kellogg Co., have announced they will drop tropical oils from some products.