The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says trans fats are no longer considered safe for human consumption, prompting officials to craft a possible ban on the partially hydrogenated oils altogether.
The announcement was issued by the FDA Thursday, sending shockwaves across the nation, as trans fats have long been a common component of the nation’s processed food supply, including frozen pizza and microwave popcorn. While the health risks associated with trans fats have always been known, the FDA’s move to ban them sends a serious message to consumers.
“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,” FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg said in a press release. “The FDA’s action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat.”
The main risk linked with the consumption of trans fats is heart disease. According the independent Institute of Medicine, there is no safe level of trans fats consumption.
While some companies, including McDonald’s, have already eliminated trans fats from products like french fries, the partially hydrogenated oils have risen in popularity because of their practicality, increasing the shelf life — and taste — of food.
That has to stop, according to the FDA.
“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 said.
In 2006, New York City’s Board of Health voted in favor of a measure that eliminated the use of trans fats in the city’s restaurants. The measure went into effect in 2008. Now, outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) is applauding the FDA for recognizing the health risks and calling for its removal from all U.S. food products.
“The groundbreaking public health policies we have adopted here in New York City have become a model for the nation for one reason: They’ve worked. Today, New Yorkers’ life expectancy is far higher than the national average, and we’ve achieved dramatic reductions in disease, including heart disease. The FDA deserves great credit for taking this step, which will help Americans live longer, healthier lives,” Bloomberg said, according to CNN.
The FDA will now open a 60-day comment period to collect input and allow manufacturers to navigate how to create products without the use of trans fats — a task the FDA says is proven as possible. While no timeline for the ban is yet in place, the FDA indicated in its press release that it would allow ample time for companies to adjust, without causing market disruption.