The US Food and Drug Administration signalled its intention to reduce trans fats in processed foods today (7 November), when the regulator suggested artificial trans fats are “not generally recognised as safe” for use in food.
The FDA has opened a 60-day consultation period to “collect additional data” and “gain input on the time potentially needed for food manufacturers to reformulate products that currently contain artificial trans fat”.
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“While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans fat has declined over the last two decades in the United States, current intake remains a significant public health concern,” said FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg. “The FDA’s action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat.”
The FDA said trans fat consumption, primarily in the form of Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs), raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. “Further reduction in the amount of trans fat in the American diet could prevent an additional 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year – a critical step in the protection of Americans’ health,” Hamburg suggested.
The independent Institute of Medicine (IOM) has concluded there is “no safe level of consumption” of artificial trans fat, the FDA added.
The FDA recognised that “many food manufacturers” have moved to voluntarily decrease trans fats in processed foods. These efforts have meant average US consumption has dropped to about 1 gram per day in 2012, from 4.6 grams per day in 2003.
However, the agency emphasised that trans fats can still be found in certain desserts, microwave popcorn products, frozen pizzas, margarines and coffee creamers.
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By GlobalData“One of the FDA’s core regulatory functions is ensuring that food, including all substances added to food, is safe,” said Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine. “Food manufacturers have voluntarily decreased trans fat levels in many foods in recent years, but a substantial number of products still contain partially hydrogenated oils, which are the major source of trans fat in processed food.”
If the FDA finalises its preliminary determination, PHOs would be considered “food additives” and could not be used in food unless authorised by regulation.
Responding to the FDA’s statement of intent, industry association the GMA stressed that product safety is the “number one priority for America’s food and beverage companies”.
“We invest our reputations and resources to provide consumers with safe and nutritious products that meet their preferences and lifestyle needs. Through our efforts at product reformulation and the development of suitable alternatives, trans fats that are not naturally occurring have been drastically reduced in the food supply,” the GMA said in a statement.
According to figures from the GMA, food companies in the US have cut trans fats by “over” 73% since 2005.
“Consumers can be confident that their food is safe and we look forward to working with the FDA to better understand their concerns and how our industry can better serve consumers,” the GMA concluded.
