WASHINGTON | Thu Nov 7, 2013 10:31am EST
(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed banning artificial trans fat in processed food, saying reducing such fat in the American diet could prevent 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year.
If its proposal becomes final, partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat, would be considered food additives and could not be used in food unless authorized.
The ruling would not affect naturally occurring trans fat that occurs in small amounts in certain meat and dairy products, the agency said.
The FDA's proposal is subject to a 60-day public comment period.
Trans fats are common in a wide range of processed foods including crackers and cookies, frozen pizza and refrigerated dough, coffee creamers and ready-to-use frosting, said Mical Honigfort, a consumer safety officer at FDA.
The American Heart Association lauded actions as a step forward in battling heart disease.
“We commend the FDA for responding to the numerous concerns and evidence submitted over the years about the dangers of this industrially produced ingredient,” the AHA's Nancy Brown said in a statement.
(Reporting by Toni Clarke and Ros Krasny; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Andrea Ricci)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/07/us-usa-fda-transfat-idUSBRE9A60VN20131107
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#1 - Nov. 11, 2013, 6:18 a.m.
Emma Brown
The FDA's proposal is not the first public effort to ban trans fats. New York City banned the use of trans fats in restaurants, including their use for deep-frying foods, and many restaurants and fast food chains, including McDonald's Corp., have eliminated their use. |
