A bit of heartening news.
US food safety officials have taken steps to ban the use of trans fats, saying they are a threat to health.
Trans fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils, are no longer "generally recognised as safe", said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The regulator said a ban could prevent 7,000 deaths and 20,000 heart attacks in the US each year. Artificial trans fats are used both in processed food and in restaurants as a way to improve the shelf life or flavour of foods. The fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, making it a solid. Trans fats persist primarily in processed foods - including some microwave popcorns and frozen pizzas - and in restaurants that use the oils for frying.
Nutritionists have long criticised their use, saying they contribute to heart disease more than saturated fat.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement. "The FDA's action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat."
US food safety officials have taken steps to ban the use of trans fats, saying they are a threat to health.
Trans fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils, are no longer "generally recognised as safe", said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The regulator said a ban could prevent 7,000 deaths and 20,000 heart attacks in the US each year. Artificial trans fats are used both in processed food and in restaurants as a way to improve the shelf life or flavour of foods. The fats are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil, making it a solid. Trans fats persist primarily in processed foods - including some microwave popcorns and frozen pizzas - and in restaurants that use the oils for frying.
Nutritionists have long criticised their use, saying they contribute to heart disease more than saturated fat.
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement. "The FDA's action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat."
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