Save the Transfats!

FDA eyes ban on trans fats due to heart disease risk

Trans fats may be on their way out of U.S. foods.

The Food and Drug Administration has announced plans to have so-called
"partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs)," which are the main source of
artificial trans fats in processed foods, to be classified as food
additives. That means they won't be allowed to be used in food without
authorization of the FDA, which may effectively ban the substances.

FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg told reporters Wednesday that the
action is being considered because PHOs are "not generally recognized as
safe for use in food."

The agency will allow 60 days for comments from the public and food
manufacturers, asking the latter how long it might take to reformulate
current products should the determination be finalized.

The agency pointed out some companies have voluntarily been scaling back
the amount of trans fat in foods. But it wants more to be done - an
additional 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each
year could be prevented by reducing trans fats, according to the FDA.

"These are significant numbers," said Hamburg.

"While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans fat has
declined over the last two decades in the United States, current intake
remains a significant public health concern," she added in a statement.
"The FDA's action today is an important step toward protecting more
Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat."

The oils behind trans fats can be found in crackers, cookies, frozen
pies, other baked goods, microwave popcorn and other snacks, frozen
pizza, coffee creamers, refrigerated dough products (like biscuits and
cinnamon rolls), ready-to-use frostings, vegetable shortenings and stick
margarine, according to the FDA.

Consuming trans fat has been tied to an increased risk for coronary
heart disease, a condition in which plaque builds up inside the
arteries, which may lead to a heart attack. Previous research, including
a 2002 report from the nonpartisan Institute of Medicine, found a direct
correlation between eating trans fats and increased levels of "bad" LDL
cholesterol, which in turn can increase heart disease risk. The
institute recommended against eating any amount of the fats, finding
they offered no health benefit.
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