FDA Proposes To Make Artificial Trans Fats A Thing Of The Past

By Sam Lewis

Government food agency looks to finish the job it started nearly a decade ago

Thursday, Nov 7 brought a proposition by the FDA that would eradicate artificial trans fats from the food supply. Artificial trans fats are known artery cloggers and are considered a major contributing factor to heart disease in the U.S. Some trans fats are naturally occurring, the current proposal will only apply to those that are added in the processing of food. Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, says the proposed rule may prevent 7,000 heart disease related deaths and 20,000 heart attacks each year.

The new proposal, open for public comment for 60 days, declares partially hydrogenated oils — the source of artificial trans fats — are no longer “generally recognized as safe.” This category of law allows caffeine and salt to be consumed without strict regulation. Companies will now have to scientifically prove that partially hydrogenated oils are safe for consumption. This may prove to be a difficult endeavor as there is an abundance of literature showing the opposite, with The Institute of Medicine proclaiming a safe level of consumption for artificial trans fats does not exist.

Cheaper than animal fats (butter and lard), trans fats became popular in baking and cooking over the last three decades. However, science has shown that these fats are far worse than any other type due to them raising levels of “bad cholesterol” while lowering levels of “good cholesterol.” The FDA implemented a rule in 2006 that required artificial trans fats to be included on food labels. This shift led to many large food makers eliminating them from their products. Even major chains, like McDonald’s, eliminated trans fats from cooking. These actions led to even further advancements in terms of public health. Consumption of trans fats in Americans decreased nearly a gram per day in 2012, compared to consumption levels of 2006. In addition, the CDC found trans fatty acid levels in the blood of white adults in the U.S. to drop 58 percent from 2000 to 2009.

Despite improvements in labeling and subsequently public health, artificial trans fats were not banned. Due to their long shelf-life, they are still found in many processed foods like frozen pizza, microwave popcorn, margarine, and coffee creamers. “The artery is still half clogged,” says Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the CDC. “This is about preventing people from being exposed to a harmful chemical that most of the time they didn’t even know was there.”

For the most part, artificial trans fats have been removed from the nation’s diet, but the remaining portion is still a big problem. Continuing to make the public aware of the risks imposed from the consumption of artificial trans fats will help aid the approval of the new proposal, which aims to make the worst kind of fat a thing of the past.