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 CSPI's Trans Fat Q&A | CSPI's Petition to Remove PHO Trans Fat — The Worst Fat of All — Trans fat is a monounsaturated fat that occurs naturally in low levels in milk and beef, but 80 percent of the trans fat Americans consume is from partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fat is considered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be Generally Recognized As Safe. Until around 1990, trans fat was considered as innocuous as other monounsaturated fats (such as those in olive oil.) Then studies demonstrated that trans fat, like saturated fat, increases the "bad" (LDL) cholesterol in our blood. That provided solid evidence that trans fat increases the risk of heart disease. Further studies found that, unlike saturated fat, trans fat also decreases the "good" (HDL) cholesterol in blood. That may well further increase the risk of heart disease. For that reason, some leading researchers think that trans fat is even more harmful than saturated fat. In July 2002, the National Academies' Institute of Medicine concluded that the only safe level of trans fat in the diet is zero. In addition, four large studies of human populations (like the Nurses Health Study) all have indicated that, a given amount of trans fat is a far more potent cause of heart disease than the same amount of saturated fat. Thus, trans fat may cause heart disease by other mechanisms as well as by affecting blood cholesterol. In 1994, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) petitioned the FDA to require trans fat to be listed on Nutrition Facts labels. In 1999 the FDA proposed a labeling regulation and in 2003 finalized it, with labels being required to list trans fat by January 1, 2006. The FDA estimated that just listing trans fat on labels would save several thousand lives a year, largely because margarine manufacturers would reduce or eliminate trans fat. If trans fat were removed from all processed foods, upwards of ten thousand—and possibly many more—lives would be saved each year. The savings in lives and dollars likely would dwarf the modest costs of switching oils. The labeling regulation has stimulated many food processors to consider replacing partially hydrogenated oil with ingredients that do not contain trans fat. Frito-Lay has stopped using partially hydrogenated oil in most of its products; Ruby TuesdayRuby Tuesday now fries in canola oil instead of partially hydrogenated oil; Kraft has announced its intentions to reduce levels of trans fat; and smaller companies have announced similar intentions. Even Crisco now comes in a trans-fat-free version. Because of their harmful effects, partially hydrogenated oils that contain trans fat should not be allowed to be used as a food ingredient. In 2004, CSPI petitioned the FDA to do exactly that, and the agency has yet to take action. Additionally, the FDA rejected a second CSPI petition that called on the agency to require restaurants to post signs indicating the presence of trans fat. Denmark limits trans fat to 2 percent of the fat content of foods, which is tantamount to a ban on partially hydrogenated oils. While the FDA ponders CSPI's petition, the food and restaurant industries should voluntarily switch to liquid oils like canola, soy, and corn, and use as little butter, palm, and coconut oil as possible. Fortunately, says CSPI, farmers and major edible-oil producers are responding to the growing market for trans-fat-free frying oils. Canola oil, corn oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil are all perfectly suited to deep-frying. A new kind of soybean oil with lower levels of linolenic acid and a canola oil high in oleic acid are also proving to be popular substitutes for partially hydrogenated oil. Top restaurant chains, which had been lagging far behind food manufacturers in getting rid of artificial trans fat, are finally beginning to replace partially hydrogenated oils with healthier alternatives—both for deep-frying and other applications. Some of the large restaurant chains that have switched or are in the process of switching to trans-fat-free vegetable oil include Wendy's ,KFC, Taco Bell, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Arby's, Chili's Grill & Bar, Denny's, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday and Romano's Macaroni Grill. Other venues, including Disney theme parks, Loews hotels, and numerous local restaurants and small chains, are eliminating trans fat. New York City made history in December 2006 by becoming the first U.S. jurisdiction to require restaurants to stop using artificial trans fat by mid 2008. McDonald's and other top chains have said they'll be able to comply by then, and the city's Board of Health will work to educate smaller non-chain restaurants about trans-free fats and oils. Bills to limit artificial trans fat have also been introduced in Chicago, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, and officials in Boston, Cambridge, Mass., Cleveland, Louisville (home to Yum! Brands), Los Angeles, and other cities and states have expressed interest in similar regulations. CSPI helped further a trans-fat-free future when, in June, it sued KFC for its use of partially hydrogenated oil. CSPI withdrew from the suit after KFC's recent announcement that it would switch to non-hydrogenated low-linolenic soybean oil for deep-frying. Further lawsuits are a possibility, according to CSPI. |
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