Partially Hydrogenated Oils to be Eliminated from US Diet by 2018

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/16/fda-to-eliminate-trans-fats

The US Food and Drug Administration will all but eliminate partially hydrogenated oils from the food supply by 2018

more than 600,000 Americans still die of heart disease each year.

The oils themselves are the result of a heating process that turns normal vegetables oils such as soybean and cottonseed oil into a solid shortening. During the process, hydrogen molecules are bubbled through the oil. The process increases the shelf life of oils by making the compounds more stable.

partially hydrogenated oils were widely used in processed foods such as margarines, biscuits, pastries, cookies, crackers, frozen pizzas, popcorn and in restaurant fryers

Retailers including Walmart no longer carry food items with manufactured trans fats, many margarine producers have stopped using partially hydrogenated oils, New York City has banned the oils in fryers, and large companies such as Frito Lay have abandoned them.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Yup!! Saw it on the news today!

 

[missbishi]

That's a great move. Obesity rates are ever-expanding (sorry...) and whilst it's easy to sit here and say "Well, people should just go on diets", I do think that food outlets and governments do have a certain responsibility towards consumers. If food can be made even just that little bit healthier then it's a positive move.

 

[classic33]

Any idea on the hazards of its replacements?

 

[GadgetGuy]

They just have to replace the bad oils with one of the good ones.