The FDA pulls the plug on artificial trans fats

Following a two-year thorough review of scientific evidence, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently made the decision to remove artificial trans fats in processed foods.

This decision marks the second step the FDA has taken to reduce trans fat in people’s diet. Since 2006 food manufacturers have been required to list the fat on the Nutrition Facts labels of foods.

There’s a catch, though. If one serving of the food contains less than half a gram of trans fat the product is listed as “0 grams trans fat.“ In other words, the food can contain 0.49 grams of the fat, but still be considered trans fat-free.

Reading the food label, therefore, is not enough. It is necessary to also read the list of ingredients. Look for wording “partially hydrogenated oil.” That is actually code for trans fat. Partially hydrogenated oil is the primary dietary source of the fats.

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, which changes it from a liquid to a solid. This process proved to be a boon to food manufacturers. Trans fats are easy to use, inexpensive to make and have a long shelf life. They give foods a desirable taste and texture.

Restaurants and fast food outlets deep fry with trans fats. Those tasty fries are chock full of the fats. In addition, the fats can be used many times in commercial fryers and require fewer changes.

Foods containing trans fats are plentiful: baked goods, such as cookies, cakes and pies; snacks, like potato chips and microwave popcorn; frozen pizzas; vegetable shortening; and even coffee creamer.

Although a boon to restaurants and one’s palates, artificial trans fats have wreaked havoc on the cardiovascular system. They increase LDL, or bad cholesterol, while decreasing HDL, or good cholesterol, and contribute to heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that avoiding trans fats can prevent up to 20,000 heart attacks and up to 7,000 coronary heart disease deaths each year.

Health professionals have not determined an acceptable daily limit of the fats. The general recommendation is to consume little, if any at all. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the consumption of trans fats to less than 1 percent of one’s total daily calories. For a 2,000 calorie a day limit, that amounts to 20 calories or 2 grams.

This new ruling by the FDA will not completely eliminate trans fats from foods. Naturally-occurring trans fats are produced by some animals. Foods made from these animals, such as milk and meat products, may contain small quantities of these fats. In addition, there’s another built-in catch. Companies can petition FDA for specific uses of certain partially hydro¬genated oils.

Some people might think that the FDA has no right to control and monitor what someone eats. Actually, that’s their job. The FDA protects the public health by assessing the safety, effectiveness and security of drugs, vaccines and medical devices. It is also responsible for the safety and security of the nation’s food supply, cosmetics and dietary supplements.

The Agency has deemed that partially hydrogenated oils are not “generally recognized as safe” — or GRAS for short — for use in human food. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act states that “any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive and is subject to premarket review and approval by the FDA.”

The U.S. is playing catchup here. According to the World Health Organization, several European countries, including Denmark, Austria and Switzerland developed similar regulations years ago.

The FDA has given food manufacturers three years to remove trans fats from their products.