Article

Foodservice industry has 3 years to cut the fat

A FDA decision gives the industry until 2018 to remove trans fats from all foods, which the federal agency estimates causes 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year.

June 17, 2015 by Nicole Troxell — Associate Editor, Networld Media Group

The foodservice industry has three years to eliminate trans fats, a chief contributor to heart disease, from its products, according to the New York Times.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued plans in 2013 to tackle the ingredient, which is known for clogging arties, and finalized its decision Tuesday. Though many companies have already eliminated trans fats from their products there are still items featuring it including popcorn, frostings, frozen pizza and more, according to the Times. The FDA estimates trans fats cause 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year.

"Much like many food revolutions, New York was the leader by restricting the use of trans fats in restaurants back in 2008. The exception, at that time, was pre-packaged foods. Since then, many food companies, both manufacturers and restaurants, have already made progress toward eliminating trans fats; however, there are many food favorites that still remain on restaurant menus and in grocery store aisles. It’s about time that the rest of the country caught up." Wade Winters, VP of supply chain for Consolidated Concepts, a purchasing partner for U.S. restaurants, said in an interview.  

Partially hydrogenated oils, the source of trans fats, are no longer considered safe, the agency said in the article. An estimated $6 billion is required for the removal effort, but ultimately will save consumers $140 billion in health care and other costs over the next 20 years, according to the Times.

"Trans fat is another term for trans-fatty acid. By definition, trans fat is produced artificially through a chemical process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, resulting in a partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fat can be worse for humans than saturated fats; it increases LDL cholesterol and decreases HDL cholesterol," Winters said.

Much of the food industry has expressed support for the decision, though others have indicated they will seek permission to continue using trans fats in small amounts in some foods.

"The FDA's artificial trans fats ban is great news for consumers, and a very manageable change for the restaurant industry. With a generous timeline of three years until the compliance date, restaurants will have time to work with manufacturers to reformulate any ingredients that contain partially hydrogenated oils, or begin sourcing ingredients that are already free of artificial trans fats. Margarine, frying oils, baked goods and snack foods are some of the most common sources of partially hydrogenated oils, but all ingredient labels should be examined as these oils can be found virtually anywhere - we've even seen them in bottled hot sauce!" Claire Willis, director of Culinary Nutritionists for MenuTrinfo LLC,a  menu labeling, nutritional services, food allergy and gluten free identification company, told us.

"Working with a third party who is very familiar with artificial trans fats and knowledgeable in successful substitutions can help restaurants navigate through this new mandate with ease. At the end of the day, the ban of artificial trans fats is set to have a considerable impact on public health and is something that the restaurant industry should embrace as a positive change for their brand as well as the consumers they're serving," Willis said.

About Nicole Troxell

---

None

Connect with Nicole: