AppId is over the quota
Last week, the FDA announced its intent to remove trans fats from its list of ingredients that are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). This would effectively prevent food makers from using it in their products.
Finally determining that artificial trans fats are a threat to public health, the agency will collect comments for two months before determining a phase-out timetable. The FDA has been contemplating trans fat issues for around 15 years and had been collecting data to justify a possible phase-out.
These fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils or trans fatty acids, are made by adding hydrogen to liquid oil, which turns it into a solid, like margarine. This makes it a desirable ingredient for processed food manufacturers, since it improves texture, stability and shelf life. AND, it’s also inexpensive. Today, it is often used in many foods including microwave popcorn, coffee creamers, packaged cookies, cans of frosting and frozen pizza.
Many manufacturers already have eliminated most trans fats due to criticism from the medical community and local laws. The average American still eats around a gram of trans fat a day and the FDA said that getting rid of the rest could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths each year.
Scientists say there are no health benefits to trans fats. However, they can raise levels of “bad” cholesterol and lower “good” cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Trans fats are widely considered the worst kind for your heart.
Many companies phased them out prompted after new nutrition label rules introduced by FDA in 2006 required that trans fats be listed, but smaller restaurants may still get food containing trans fats from suppliers.
Artificial trans fats were invented in 1901 by Wilhelm Normann, a German chemist, who added hydrogen gas to liquid oils and came up with a cheaper alternative to natural products like lard and butter. For a long time, these fats were believed to be safer than fats from animals. But as early as 1990, epidemiologists were realizing that the fats contributed to heart disease.
In 2008, New York City banned them. In 2011, Wal-Mart said it would remove all artificial trans fat foods the company sells by 2016. According to the FDA, American trans fat intake declined from 4.6 grams per day in 2003 to around one gram in 2012.
Some other countries have banned them, including Switzerland and Denmark while other countries have enacted strict labeling laws.
This is a perfect reminder that just because the FDA allows an artificial ingredient in commercially processed food products does not mean that they are safe. There are many other artificial ingredients that are legally being added to our food supply with no understanding of what the long-term health effects might be. We often like to remind people that over the last 120 years, we are all part of a huge dietary experiment. We are eating things that were never a part of our natural diet, most of them are man-made, and there’s no way to know exactly what all these products are doing to our health. It took over 100 years for regulators to understand the dangers of trans fats so never expect any quick action.
The most prudent and healthy approach is to avoid all processed foods and focus on eating the same natural TurboCharged foods that mankind has thrived on for hundreds-of-thousands of years.
Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
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