We have to celebrate a bit of a food victory. Yesterday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its final determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of trans fats, are not actually safe for human consumption. Yeah!
I'm sure you've heard of the evil trans fat before. Trans fats are easily produced and allow food companies to extend the shelf life of their products, as well as provide additional, rich flavor. They are not so good for your arteries and heart. The subtitle in the FDA's own press release should be enough to let you know the significance of this action, "Action expected to reduce coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of fatal heart attacks every year." Wow. Glad we figured this one out.
The FDA has allowed a three year compliance period for companies to remove all PHO's from food. However, as always, make sure you carefully read your food labels. Unfortunately, I mean really read them. If an item has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, that information does not need to be disclosed on the "Nutrition Facts" section of the food label so you must check the ingredients label for any PHOs.
If you need help determining what is in your food, the Environmental Working Group's Food Score Database is a great place to start. A quick look at some specific peanut butters, crackers, and other snacks is provided here.
At the end of the day, it is great to see a step taken forward but as consumers we still need to be diligent about what we choose from the store shelf.
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