The US government is ordering changes in food processing to mostly ban trans fats, which are connected to heart disease, within three years under new rules announced Tuesday, according to dpa. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized its 2013 finding that partially hydrogenated oils, which are the main sources of artificial trans fat in food processing, are not "generally recognized as safe" for human consumption. The regulations give manufacturers three years to remove such oils from products. Partially hydrogenated oils make foods more stable and are used to extend the shelf life of processed foods. "This action is expected to reduce coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of fatal heart attacks every year," FDA acting commissioner Stephen Ostroff said. Removal of partially hydrogenated oils will take most of the remaining trans fats out of diets in the United States. Consumption of trans fats had already fallen 78 per cent from 2003 to 2012, the FDA said, as manufacturers responded to consumer demand for healthier products. Label of trans fats in foods has been required since 2006 in the United States. "While trans fat intake has significantly decreased, the current intake remains a public health concern," the FDA said in a statement. "The Institute of Medicine recommends that consumption of trans fat be as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally adequate diet." The safety-regulating FDA could still allow some use of partially hydrogenated oils if manufacturers petition for specific waivers.
