NEW FOOD LABELING LAW

HEART HEALTH FOOD CHOICES
by Diane Battistello

No doubt about it, sometimes change takes a long time.  In 1994 the Center for Science in the Public Interest filed a petition with the U.S. Food Drug Administration (FDA) asking steps be taken to require food manufacturers to label the amount of trans fatty acids (TFAs) in their packaged foods.  The FDA now recognizes the health risk of TFAs and is amending its Regulations.  The final rule will take effect in 2006.  You might be asking the question, "So what?"  here's a brief description of the new and very important health ruling.

A Chemical process called hydrogenation transforms polyunsaturated vegetable oils, oils that are good for us, into solid and unhealthy fats called trans fats.  Food manufacturers use hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oil as a way of extending a product's shelf life.  TFAs have no nutritional value and they are known to increase the body's levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol) while decreasing its levels of HDL ("good" cholesterol).  High cholesterol is a risk factor in heart disease.

Because the old labeling laws do not require TFAs be listed on food labels it's been easy to unknowingly eat them.  Currently most packaged foods contain TFAs.  According to FDA, hydrogenated fats are in nearly half of all cereals, 70 percent of cake mixes, 70 percent of chips and crackers, 80 percent of frozen breakfast baked goods, and 90 percent of all cookies. 

Under the new labeling rules, manufacturers and bakers must identify TFAs wherever they occur in amounts of 0.5 gram or more.  Although the FDA is not declaring a "safe level" of TFAs, food processors will be allowed to make new claims on their labels, such as "low in trans fat" or "low in cholesterol-raising fat".  Consumers interested in eating foods that are free from TFAs should look at the ingredients listing and avoid purchasing products with the words "hydrogenated" and or "partially hydrogenated" oils.

The Regulation's 2006 implementation date gives food companies a chance to find new formulas for their processed foods.  While reducing TFAs will not be an easy task for food manufacturers, we are already starting to see some of the new food labels.  The FDA estimates that by 2009, this new labeling rule will have prevented between 6,300 and 12,800 cases of heart disease and 2,100 to 4,200 deaths.  Here's to your heart!