The FDA Will Decide Whether to Remove Trans Fats from Most Foods by June 15

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says Americans eat about a gram of trans fat every day, and phasing it out could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths each year. That’s exactly what the Obama administration is setting out to do.

In November 2013, the FDA proposed phasing out artificial trans fats over time. The agency says it will make a final decision by June 15. The agency made a preliminary determination that trans fats no longer fall in the agency’s “generally recognized as safe” category. Thousands of additives are covered by the category, all of which can be added to food without the FDA’s approval. The agency says once trans fats are off the list, any manufacturer that wants to use them would have to petition federal health regulators to allow it. This would phase them out almost completely, as not many uses are likely to be permitted, according to Philly.com.

There are no real health benefits to trans fats, scientists say. The additives can raise levels of “bad” cholesterol and lower levels of “good” cholesterol, upping the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Trans fats are considered to be even worse than saturated fats. Saturated fats can contribute to heart disease, but trans fats are considerably more dangerous, Philly.com reported.

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid, and are typically referred to as partially hydrogenated oils. Baked goods, microwave popcorn and fried foods are loaded with trans fats. They’re also found in frostings, which require solid fat for texture, and in products that need a longer shelf life or flavor enhancement. Pie crusts, biscuits, coffee creamers, frozen pizza, refrigerated dough, vegetable shortenings and stick margarines are chock full of partially hydrogenated oils, according to Philly.com.

FDA officials say the agency may phase the fats out at a speedier pace for some foods than others, depending on how easy it is to find substitutes. The agency is not honing in on small amounts of trans fats that are naturally occurring in some meat and dairy products. The fats would be too difficult to remove from those items and are not considered a major public health threat on their own, Philly.com reported.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association is working with food companies on a petition that would ask the FDA to determine if there is a “reasonable certainty of no harm” from some specific uses of the fats. A spokesman for the group told Philly.com would not specify what the industry plans to ask for, but he said the agency encouraged food companies to submit a petition.

The FDA was first petitioned to ban trans fats 11 years ago by the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group’s director, Michael Jacobson, said he is pleased with the industry’s efforts so far but said federal action is vital.

A phase out would be “the single most important thing the FDA has done about the healthfulness of our food supply,” Jacobson told Philly.com.

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