Trans fat no more: FDA gives food industry three years

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June 29, 2015, 9:44 p.m.

Trans fat no more: FDA gives food industry three years

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By Gabby Shacknai The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered the elimination of all trans fats from the food supply within the next three years, a long-awaited move that is expected to save thousands of lives per year. The FDA declared partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the principal source of artificial trans fats, unsafe for use in human food. Trans fat has been a go-to ingredient for various food companies since its entry into the food supply in the early 1900s because of its ability to remain a solid in room temperature. The last few years have seen a significant reduction in trans fats, particularly since 2006 when the FDA began requiring food companies to disclose how much trans fat they put in processed foods. Dr. Walter Willett, Department of Nutrition Chairman at Harvard University’s School of Public Health, says that the food industry has already removed up to 85 percent of trans since 2003. As a result, consumption of trans fats has plummeted. But the FDA insists that people are still consuming too much, partially because food manufacturers are permitted to list zero grams of trans fats on the label even if the food contains up to 0.5 grams. According to Willett, the three-year timeline was a compromise. “Many parts of the industry pushed back quite hard against a more immediate trans fat ban," he said. The deadline “provides time needed for food manufacturers to complete their transition to suitable alternatives and/or seek food additive approval,” the Grocery Manufacturers Association said. The group added that it plans to petition the FDA to allow some limited, low-level uses of trans fats in some products. For an idea of what foods contain trans fats, check out the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s ‘Trans Fat Wall of Shame’ Pinterest Board .