June 16--In a final move to ban artificial trans fats from the American food supply, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday removed hydrogenated oils from its list of food additives that may be used by food manufacturers without special clearance because they are considered safe to consume.
The FDA's announcement sets a three-year time clock on food manufacturers to remove hydrogenated oils completely from their products unless they have gained the agency's specific approval to continue their use.The modified oils--used since the 1950s to make processed foods more shelf-stable--are the primary source of added trans fats in Americans' diets.
In 2002, however, researchers found evidence that trans fatty acids raise levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood, which is a major risk factor for developing heart disease. Following a lengthy campaign by public health activists, the FDA demanded in 2006 that food manufacturers declare the amount of trans fats in their products, and announced in 2013 it would begin the process of removing such trans fatty acids from the American food supply.
Food manufacturers have steadily reduced their use of hydrogenated oils since then, and FDA officials said Tuesday they expect few will have difficulty meeting the three-year deadline. But the modified oils have continued to be found in some brands of popular food products, such as frostings, microwave popcorn, packaged pies, frozen pizzas, stick margarines and coffee creamers.
While the use of partially hydrogenated oils must be listed on the ingredients label of a product when it is used, consumers may still overlook the dietary danger: when trans fat levels per serving are below 0.5 grams, a product is not required to list trans fat on its nutrition label.
For consumers who consistently choose products with added partially hydrogenated oils, their daily intake of industrially produced trans fat is approximately twice as high as the average consumer, acting FDA Commissioner Susan Mayne wrote in her blog Tuesday.
"We still have room for improvement," said Michael R. Taylor, the FDA's deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, on Tuesday. Removing partially hydrogenated oils from the agency's list of food additives that are "generally regarded as safe" and therefore can be used without special permission from the FDA,. is "a very clear case where the benefits far exceed the cost," he added.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that taking industrially produced trans fat out of the food supply may prevent 10,000 to 20,000 heart attacks and 3,000 to 7,000 coronary deaths each year. That, in turn, could create from $30 billion to $41 billion in benefits to the U.S. economy, according to the Center for Effective Government.
In the two years since the FDA announced its plan to remove trans fats from the U.S. food supply, the agency has encouraged manufacturers to submit petitions that would cite how, and at what levels, hydrogenated oils might be safely used, according to food industry officials.
The Grocery Manufacturers of America is now putting the finishing touches on such a petition, said Roger Lowe, the GMA's executive vice president for communications.
In the meantime, he said, food companies have voluntarily lowered the amounts of hydrogenated oils they use in products by 86%.
The FDA's move was widely applauded by public health groups, which have been pressing for tougher action to remove trans fats from Americans' diets.
"The evidence is clear. There is no safe level of trans fat," said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Assn. "A healthier food supply is absolutely critical in supporting good health and reducing chronic disease related to poor nutrition, overweight, obesity and food insecurity. Removing this source of industrial trans fat in the food supply will prevent thousands of preventable illnesses and deaths each year from heart disease."
Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Assn., said in a statement, "We are so pleased that the [generally regarded as safe] status for this industrially produced ingredient has been revoked at last. The association commends the FDA for following through with its determination. In doing so, the agency has taken a firm step to protect the heart health of this country."
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UPDATE
1:01 p.m.: This story has been updated with additional detail about a petition being prepared by the Grocery Manufacturers of America that would seek permission to continue using small amounts of trans fats in processed foods.
This story was originally published at 9:32 a.m.
