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Determination Could Lead to Ban in Baked Goods, Other Foods
Updated Nov. 7, 2013 11:29 a.m. ET
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday ruled for the first time that trans fatsaren't generally considered safe in foods, a sharp shift in policy that could lead to banningtrans fats in baked goods, refrigerated dough products, frosting and other foods.
Trans fats, or partially hydrogenized fats or oils, are considered a potential prime factor inleading to heart attacks and strokes, and the FDA specifically said it was taking thispreliminary step to protect the public's health.
"While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans fat has declined over the last twodecades in the United States, current intake remains a significant publichealth concern,"said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg. "The FDA's action today is an importantstep toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat. Furtherreduction in the amount of trans fat in the American diet could prevent an additional 20,000heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year—a critical step in theprotection of Americans' health."
The agency said it would give food companies and other interested parties 60 days tocomment on the proposed action, which it said was based on scientific data.
At some point after that, the FDA will make a final ruling. Food companies will get a chanceduring that time to shape the FDA's thinking about how long it will take to remove theingredient from most products.
But both Commissioner Hamburg and Michael Taylor, the FDA's leading food official,seemed adamant about the general direction they plan to take: moving toward the ultimateremoval of trans fats from the American food supply.
Mr. Taylor said that in certain products, such as commercial cake icing, removing transfats appeared especially complex.
Studies have shown that a fiveyearold ban on the ingredient in restaurants in New YorkCity has been effective in lowering trans fat consumption in diets. The city's ban has beenregarded as influential in shaping thinking nationally about the ingredient.
The FDA never ruled officially that trans fats were safe. It simply didn't generally challengethat assertion when it was made over three decades by food companies that added transfats to their products.
"Trans fats have not before had their generallyregardedassafe status addressed by theFDA," Mr. Taylor said in an interview with reporters. But, he said, "the timeline [for a finalFDA decision] will be based on the comments we get."
Write to Thomas M. Burton at [email protected]
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