F.D.A. Announces Label Requirement for Artery-Clogger

[Guest guest]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/10/national/10FATS.html?th

 

July 10, 2003F.D.A. Announces Label Requirement for Artery-CloggerBy MARIAN

BURROS

 

 

After more than a decade of debate, the Food and Drug Administration announced

yesterday that it would require food processors to include the amount of

artery-clogging trans fatty acids on nutrition labels.

 

The new requirement does not go into effect until 2006. But it is expected to

push manufacturers into reducing the levels of trans fats, which they began

using in the 1980's to avoid another health risk, saturated fats. Trans fats are

now found in thousands of foods, including cookies, crackers, french fries,

puddings, imitation cheese and chicken nuggets. Some manufacturers have already

reduced or eliminated trans fats, responding to growing concerns over health

issues and heart disease.

 

Margarine products from Unilever Bestfoods, including Promise, are now made

without trans fats.

 

Even though nutrition labeling is not required in restaurants, some experts

believe it may also convince them to lower the levels of trans fats in their

food and provide the information to their customers. One prominent researcher

has even suggested that if restaurants fail to provide information about trans

fatty acids they may be leaving themselves open to lawsuits.

 

" This is only the first step, " said the researcher, Dr. Walter Willett, chairman

of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. " The big

gap is fast food and casual restaurants. If people eat foods high in trans fat

and there is no warning label and then they have a heart attack at some point,

there has to be legal liability. Saturated fat is different because it is

naturally part of many foods. Trans fats are being actively added and people are

being deceived, I think. Lawyers are going to have an interesting time. The main

defense of the smoking industry now is that there is a warning label, and there

is no warning labeling on trans fats. "

 

Trans fats are at least as bad as saturated fat — which is found in milk

products, beef and pork — and some scientists think the trans fats are worse.

Unlike any other fat, they not only raise the level of low density lipoproteins,

bad cholesterol, they may also raise triglycerides and may lower the level of

high density lipoproteins — good cholesterol. Last year the National Academy of

Sciences said the level of trans fats in the diet should be as low as possible.

Even as little as two or three grams of trans fat a day can increase the health

risk. A glazed doughnut has four grams of trans fat.

 

In the long-running Nurses Health Study, there was a 50 percent increase in the

heart attack rate among women who ate the greatest amount of trans fats compared

with those who consumed the lowest levels.

 

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, solidifying it

and increasing the shelf life of certain products. Products that contain partly

hydrogenated oils or vegetable shortening may contain trans fats, as do many of

the foods served at fast-food and casual-dining or family-style restaurants. But

short of laboratory analysis, there has been no way to know how much a serving

contains.

 

The trans fat information will appear just below saturated fat. The agency's

labeling requirement was reported by several news organizations yesterday.

 

When asked yesterday if the Food and Drug Administration would consider

requiring restaurants to provide nutrition information, Dr. Mark McClellan, the

commissioner, said, " We certainly have been talking with the restaurant industry

about further steps they can take to help people eat healthier diets. " Dr.

McClellan declined to say if nutrition information would be one of them.

 

In 2002, to great fanfare, McDonald's announced that it would switch from partly

hydrogenated oil to one that contained no trans fats for cooking its french

fries, but the company has never made the switch. Asked about the delay, a

company spokeswoman said yesterday that " we will test until we're convinced it

is right. "

 

Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the

Public Interest, said, " It's shameful they announced they were changing their

oil as if it were happening immediately and then quietly reneged on it, instead

of waiting until new french fries are in the stores. " The center petitioned the

F.D.A. to require trans fat labeling almost a decade ago.

 

Dr. Wootan said there were alternative fats on the market with either less trans

fats or none that could be used for frying and for products that need solid fat,

like cookies. They are more expensive, she said, but when more companies start

to use them, the price will come down.

 

Several food companies have already removed the trans fats from their products.

Recently Frito-Lay began to include trans fat information on its foods. Most

other chips makers use oils that are trans-fat-free but do not list the

information on the label.

 

The label for Newman's Own popcorn says the product does not contain trans fatty

acids; instead it is made with palm oil, a highly saturated fat.

 

The F.D.A. estimates that the change in regulations " will save between $900

million and $1.8 billion a year in medical costs, lost productivity and pain and

suffering. "

 

The agency also announced that it was seeking comments on how to put the

information about trans fats in better context of a daily diet, making it more

useful to people.

 

" We worry that people will focus more on trans fat because it's new and will try

to avoid every bit of trans fat even if it means eating more saturated fat, " Dr.

Wootan said. " This is all about heart disease, and it's the biggest killer of

men and women in this country. "

 

Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company

 

 

@

 

Alternative Medicine/Health-Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc.

 

To , e-mail to:

alternative_medicine_forum-

 

Or, go to our group site at:

alternative_medicine_forum

 

 

 

SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!