FDA Targets Trans Fat, Aims to Phase Harmful Ingredient

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it would require food makers to gradually phase out artificial trans fats - partially hydrogenated oils - found in cakes, cookies and many baked products.

The agency said in a statement that trans fats are a major health concern for Americans despite lower consumption of the dangerous, artery-clogging fats over the last twenty years. Trans fat is also known as partially hydrogenated oils or vegetable shortening. It is made by bubbling hydrogen through hot vegetable oil. This chemically converts the liquid oil into a fat that is solid at room temperature.

"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 A. Hamburg.

"The FDA's action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans-fat. 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."

The agency has opened a 60-day review period to collect additional data before it moves to ban food makers from using trans fats. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5,000 Americans a year die of heart disease because artificial trans fat is in the food supply "and another 15,000 will get heart disease," due to it, said Thomas Frieden, CDC director.

"Consumption has gone from 4.6 grams trans fat per day in 2003 to about 1 gram per day in 2012," says Hamburg. Americans also consume about 1.2 grams of naturally occurring trans fat, from dairy and red meat, she said.