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"Say goodbye to your favorite indulgent snack foods\u2014as you know them, at least. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that trans fats in partially hydrogenated oils are &amp;quot;no longer generally recognized as safe.&amp;quot; With the duty of ensuring America&amp;#039;s food safety, the FDA could end the era of frozen pizzas, doughnuts, movie theater popcorn and more, with a ban of these artificial fats. Trans fats are agreed to be far worse than regular fats since they not only increase &amp;quot;bad&amp;quot; cholesterol, but also decrease &amp;quot;good&amp;quot; cholesterol\u2014which links them to an increased risk of heart disease. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), &amp;quot;there are no known benefits and no safe level of trans fats for human consumption.&amp;quot; Yet manufacturers of processed and fast foods often rely on trans fats found in partially hydrogenated oils to increase the shelf life and flavor of their products. With the FDA&amp;#039;s impending crackdown on these dangerous additives, food giants will find themselves using ingredients like canola and soybean oils and butter as alternative (but still not exactly healthy) ingredients. The impending ban shouldn&amp;#039;t come as a surprise, seeing how trans-fat consumption and usage has greatly decreased in recent years. The FDA reported that, &amp;quot;trans-fat intake among American consumers decreased from 4.6 grams per day in 2003 to about a gram a day in 2012.&amp;quot; McDonald&amp;#039;s, for example, has not used hydrogenated oil to cook their fries for over a decade, and in 2007, New York City adopted a ban of trans fat\u2013laden oils in restaurants. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also joined the discussion, proposing eliminating trans fats from the global food supply. Although all research has pointed to the hazards of trans fats, the ban cannot be imposed right away. In a 60-day comment period, the FDA will conduct additional studies and discuss how much time food manufacturers will need to remove artificial trans fats from their products. If the ban is passed, the U.S. food supply will still not be free of trans fats since it naturally exists in both dairy products and meat. Nevertheless, with a ban in the foreseeable future, American heart health can only improve. What do you think about the FDA&amp;#039;s proposed ban? Share your thoughts in the comments below. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/news/a48163/us-moves-to-ban-trans-fats/>