The Food and Drug Administration today proposed measures that would virtually eliminate artificial trans fats. Based on new scientific evidence and the findings of expert scientific panels, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tentatively determined that partially hydrogenated oils, which are the primary dietary source of industrially-produced trans fatty acids, or trans fat, are not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for any use in food based on current scientific evidence establishing the health risks associated with the consumption of trans fat, and therefore that PHOs are food additives. Although FDA has not listed the most commonly used PHOs, they have been used in food for many years based on self-determinations by industry that such use is GRAS. If finalized, this would mean that food manufacturers would no longer be permitted to sell partially hydrogenated oils, either directly or as ingredients in another food product, without prior FDA approval for use as a food additive.
