The FDA is cracking down on the use of trans fats and is planning on phasing them out entirely over the next three years.
The Associated Press reported that artificial trans fats have been considered a threat to people’s health and scientists have pointed out these fats are not beneficial to people’s health. They have been said to increase “bad” cholesterol levels while also lowering the “good” cholesterol that comes from food. This can lead to an increase in heart disease.
Trans fats are often used when food is processed in order to give them an improvement for flavor, texture, and shelf life. Since 2003 and 2012, the use of artificial trans fat has decreased around 78 percent.
Many items that contain trans fat include creamers for coffee, microwave popcorn, biscuits, and vegetable shortenings. In order to phase out the use of trans fats, the FDA made the decision that these fats did not belong in the category for additives that were “generally recognized as safe.”
The other use for trans fats has also been for fried foods and pastries.
CNN reported that in a news release, Dr. Stephen Ostroff with the FDA said, “The FDA’s action on this major source of artificial trans fat demonstrates the agency’s commitment to the heart health of all Americans.”
The best way to make sure that there is no trans fat in the products you buy is to check the ingredients list for partially hydrogenated oils.