Trans Fat on Your Food Label

[Guest guest]

August 8, 2003

NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS

" Nutrition news is important. We help you understand it! "

 

Today's Topic: Trans Fat on Your Food Label

 

After years of promise, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

finally made official its requirement to list trans fatty acids (TFA)

on food labels. Trans fats are produced by partial hydrogenation of

unsaturated vegetable oils to improve the functional properties of the

fat in certain foods. TFA are also naturally present in milk and meat

from ruminant animals. The TFA from animal sources have no associated

risk and have been found to give health benefits. The TFA from

hydrogenated oils have been connected to increased heart disease.

 

The deadline for getting TFA on the food label is January 1, 2006.

This is to give food companies time to use up old labels and

reformulate foods if they choose. It is likely that many food

manufacturers will reformulate their products to reduce or eliminate

TFA because consumers will likely use this new ingredient as a measure

of healthfulness. FDA estimates that by three years after

implementation, trans fat labeling will prevent 250 to 500 deaths per

year. So many millions of dollars will be spent on preventing less

than 1/100th of a percent of heart disease deaths.

 

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Do you have any idea if 5 grams

of TFA is harmful? Under existing rules, having less than a half gram

of trans fat qualifies as being labeled TFA-free because that amount

is considered negligible. The International Food Information Council

surveyed 1,300 adults and found the proposed label caused consumers to

focus on TFA and rely less on calories, total fat, and saturated fat.

Small to moderate amounts of TFA are probably not much of a factor in

heart disease, although no one knows how much is okay. The

recommendation that any amount is unhealthy is not justified by strong

evidence.

 

 

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