The Food and Drug Administration said today that it is hoping to ban trans fat, an artery-clogging ingredient in many baked goods, for good. While it has slowly been disappearing, especially after New York City banned it, the ingredient is still a problem and banning it could prevent thousands of deaths.
In a press release, the FDA said it is determined to classify trans fat as not “generally recognized as safe” to be used in food. A 60-day comment period will begin, during which the FDA will continue to look over data and talk with food manufacturers about reformulating their products.
“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, M.D. said. “The FDA’s action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat. 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.”
According to the Associated Press, Hamburg believes that the move could help stop 20,000 heart attacks a year, as well as 7,000 deaths.
The use of trans fat began declining in 2006, when the FDA required it to be listed on nutrition labels for all food. As NBC News notes, New York City banned the ingredient from restaurants in 2007 and other local governments have put restrictions on it.
Scientists have determined that trans fats have no nutritional value and can in fact increase “bad” cholesterol, increasing the risk for heart disease. The FDA has said that the average American was down to one gram of trans fat per day in 2012.