Food Labels to Contain Trans Fats

U.S. orders addition of dangerous acid by 2006

(HealthDay is the new name for HealthScoutNews.)

WEDNESDAY, July 9, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- The U.S. government announced Wednesday that food labels will now be required to list the amount of unhealthy trans fatty acids lurking inside.

"We are empowering Americans to make healthier choices about the foods they eat," Health and Human Services Secretary Thompson said in a statement. "By putting trans fat information on food labels, we are making it possible for consumers to make better educated choices to lower their intake of these unhealthy fats and cholesterol. It's just one more way we're helping consumers lead healthier lives."

The ruling has been "eagerly anticipated" for years, says Alice Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston.

"Truth in advertising should extend to foods as well. And if there are foods that have dangerous fats in them, consumers should know what they're getting into," says Dr. Henry Anhalt, director of the division of pediatric endocrinology at Infants and Children's Hospital of Brooklyn at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City.

Under the new regulations, by Jan. 1, 2006, labels will have to include a new line for trans fats, located directly under the line for another silent killer, saturated fat. This is the first major change in labeling requirements in a decade.

Mounting scientific evidence shows that consumption of trans fat, along with saturated fat and cholesterol, raises LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels and thereby increases the risk of heart disease.

The Food and Drug Administration estimates that the changes will save between $900 million and $1.8 billion each year in medical costs, lost productivity, and pain and suffering.

Trans fats develop during the process of hydrogenation, in which hydrogen is added to vegetable oil in order to turn the oil into a more solid fat. It's often found along with saturated fat in such foods as vegetable shortening, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, and fried and other processed foods.

But right now, there are no specific recommendations for trans fat intake, Lichtenstein says. Actual dietary intake of trans fat is running at 1.5 to 2 percent of total calories, while intake of saturated fat is running at about 12 to 14 percent of calories. The combined total intake of trans and saturated fats should probably be under 10 percent, Lichtenstein says.

The idea of the new labeling information is to help consumers make more informed and healthier choices. Whether this will actually happen is another question.

"Labels are difficult," Anhalt concedes. "Understanding what's in there -- even if it's in black and white -- requires some education."

"At this point, it is unclear how consumers will use the information," Lichtenstein adds. Certainly consumers need to take into account both trans and saturated fats when making decisions, not just trans fats.

It's possible that the labeling requirements will engender change from another source: food manufacturers.

"Because the manufacturers now have to label trans fatty acids it may cause them to change their formulation," Lichtenstein says. "It was sort of advantageous to have foods low in saturated fat and high in trans fat because they had to label saturated and not trans. It was sort of a loophole, and now that's going to be eliminated. Since we don't know how the consumer is going to react, we do have an idea that industry might react."

Manufacturers of dietary supplements will also be required to list trans fat content, as well as saturated fat and cholesterol on the "Supplement Facts" panel when their products (such as nutrition and energy bars) contain more than trace amounts (0.5 grams).

The ruling may reduce liability for manufacturers. "If I have told everybody what's in there and they still want to eat it, let the buyer beware," Anhalt says. "But if I hide what's in there because it tastes good, that's a horse of another color."

More information

The Food and Drug Administration has more information on trans fats, as does the American Dietetic Association.

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