what is hydrogenated shortening
Hydrogenated vegetable shortening is semi-solid fat used for cooking and baking. Famous brands include Crisco in the United States and Cookeen in the United Kingdom. It has been criticized for high levels of trans fats, which have been linked to coronary heart disease and other health problems.istory. Hydrogenation was discovered in the late 19th century when chemists found that they could add hydrogen to unsaturated fats by passing hydrogen gas through vegetable oil in the presence of a nickel catalyst. Hydrogenated shortening became commercially available in 1911 with the introduction of Crisco.