Does non-dairy creamer still put trans fat above Europe's legal limit into your coffee?

What We Found

The EU rule is real. Regulation (EU) 2019/649 caps industrial trans fat at 2 g per 100 g of fat, and it has applied since April 2021.

In the U.S., the FDA ruled partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of artificial trans fat, no longer "generally recognized as safe." Companies had to stop adding them after June 18, 2018, with final sell-through dates in 2020 and 2021.

The Coffee-mate French Vanilla bottle in the meme now lists water, sugar and soybean oil, with no hydrogenated oil, and 0 g trans fat per tablespoon.

The claim fits older formulas. In 2008, CSPI reported that liquid Coffee-mate used partially hydrogenated soybean or cottonseed oil.

Sources

1. Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/649, EUR-Lex (opens in new tab)
2. Same regulation (UK legislation archive PDF) (opens in new tab)
3. FDA, Trans Fat (opens in new tab)
4. Federal Register, 2015 final determination on PHOs (PHO vs. fully hydrogenated oil definitions) (opens in new tab)
5. Federal Register, 2018 compliance-date extension (opens in new tab)
6. FDA, Interactive Nutrition Facts Label (trans fat) (opens in new tab)
7. Nestlé Coffee-mate, French Vanilla 64 fl oz (ingredients and label) (opens in new tab)
8. Nestlé Coffee-mate, French Vanilla 32 oz (opens in new tab)
9. Nestlé Coffee-mate, Original powder (opens in new tab)
10. FoodNavigator-USA, 2008 (CSPI: liquid Coffee-mate then used partially hydrogenated soybean or cottonseed oil) (opens in new tab)
11. ClassAction.org, 2018 lawsuit over PHO in Coffee-mate (opens in new tab)
12. National Law Review (FHO vs. PHO; the under-0.5 g "0 g" rule) (opens in new tab)
13. Health Canada, PHO prohibition notice (FHOs generally under 2% trans fat) (opens in new tab)