When is it okay to call a baked good "fat free"?

[madebyyouandi]

I modified a recipe for Zucchini Brownies to suit my lifestyle and taste and posted a video online. Mine have no butter or oil or extra fat of any kind, so I made the the original title "fat-free zucchini brownies" and got into a couple of quibbles with commenters who pointed out that the cocoa and the yolk have fat. I have to admit, I did debate with myself over that same point before posting but felt my title was accurate.

I'm curious what the good cooks, chefs, and hungry jowls of CB think, so I thought I'd see if I could get a conversation going on truth in advertising, so to speak.

 

[Morning Glory]

According to the FDA:

(i) The food contains less than 0.5 gram (g) of fat per reference amount customarily consumed and per labeled serving or, in the case of a meal product or main dish product, less than 0.5 g of fat per labeled serving.

Full FDA definition here: CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21


According to UK food labelling:

A claim that a food is fat-free, and any claim likely to have the same meaning for the consumer, may only be made where the product contains no more than 0.5g of fat per 100g or 100ml. However, claims expressed as 'X% fat-free' shall be prohibited.

 

[madebyyouandi]

According to the FDA:
The food contains less than 0.5 gram (g) of fat per reference a

I had to go check my morning espresso. Safe.

But what about people who post recipes online? Do a search for "fat-free" and most do not fit either definition.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Personally, I don´t mind if it´s fat- free or fat-full. Mind you, I´ve never been on a diet and my condolences to those who, for some reason or another, have.

 

[garlichead]

Bottom line is no, your recipe is not fat free. How or why you call them fat free is really up to you though, it's not effecting anyone unless of course you post it as fat free to others, then your claim is inaccurate.

Like MG stated if an amount is less than .5g per serving you can call it "fat free" legally but what you can't say, is 0 fat.

 

[Morning Glory]

I had to go check my morning espresso. Safe.

But what about people who post recipes online? Do a search for "fat-free" and most do not fit either definition.

I honestly don't know where the law stands on that - but I doubt anything could legally be done about it. The internet is, after all, chock full of misinformation!

 

[Mountain Cat]

I admit, I really have no interest in tasting a baked good that calls itself "fat free". But if you do have the cocoa or yolk in there, I am definitely more likely to try it!