Author Topic: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats  (Read 12994 times)

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FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« on: November 07, 2013, 04:18:46 pm »


 by Breitbart News 7 Nov 2013, 7:14 AM PDT post a comment
(AP) FDA to ban artery-clogging trans fats
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON

Heart-clogging trans fats have been slowly disappearing from grocery aisles and restaurant menus in the last decade. Now, the Food and Drug Administration is finishing the job.

The FDA planned to announce Thursday it will require the food industry to gradually phase out all trans fats, saying they are a threat to people's health. Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the move could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths each year.

Hamburg said that while the amount of trans fats in the country's diet has declined dramatically in the last decade, they "remain an area of significant public health concern." The trans fats have long been criticized by nutritionists, and New York and other local governments have banned them.

The agency isn't yet setting a timeline for the phase-out, but it will collect comments for two months before officials determine how long it will take. Different foods may have different timelines, depending how easy it is to find a substitute.

"We want to do it in a way that doesn't unduly disrupt markets," says Michael Taylor, FDA's deputy commissioner for foods. Still, he says, the food "industry has demonstrated that it is by and large feasible to do."

To phase them out, the FDA said it had made a preliminary determination that trans fats no longer fall in the agency's "generally recognized as safe" category, which is reserved for thousands of additives that manufacturers can add to foods without FDA review. Once trans fats are off the list, anyone who wants to use them would have to petition the agency for a regulation allowing it, and that would be unlikely to be approved.

Trans fats are widely considered the worst kind for your heart, even worse than saturated fats, which can also contribute to heart disease. Trans fats are used both in processed food and in restaurants, often to improve the texture, shelf life or flavor of foods. They are created when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid, which is why they are often called partially hydrogenated oils.

Scientists say there are no health benefits to trans fats and say they can raise levels of so-called "bad" cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease _ the leading cause of death in the United States.

Many companies have already phased out trans fats, prompted by new nutrition labels introduced by FDA in 2006 that list trans fats and an by an increasing number of local laws that have banned them.

Though they have been removed from many items, the fats are still found in processed foods, including in some microwave popcorns and frozen pizzas, refrigerated doughs, cookies and ready-to-use frostings. They are also sometimes used by restaurants that use the fats for frying. Many larger chains have phased them out, but smaller restaurants may still get food containing trans fats from suppliers.

As a result of the local and federal efforts, consumers have slowly eaten fewer of the fats. According to the FDA, trans fat intake among American consumers declined from 4.6 grams per day in 2003 to around one gram per day in 2012.

FDA officials say they have been working on trans fat issues for around 15 years _ the first goal was to label them _ and have been collecting data to justify a possible phase-out since just after President Barack Obama came into office in 2009.

The advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest first petitioned FDA to ban trans fats nine years ago. The group's director, Michael Jacobson, says the move is "one of the most important lifesaving actions the FDA could take."

He says the agency should try to move quickly as it determines a timeline.

"Six months or a year should be more than enough time, especially considering that companies have had a decade to figure out what to do," Jacobson said.
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Offline NavyCanDo

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2013, 12:44:35 am »
We keep asking ourselves can Government Intrusion into our lives get any worse, and the answer keeps coming back Yes It Can. Trust me this will not end at Trans Fats. Salt and Sugar are next on the list.
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Offline olde north church

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2013, 12:46:31 am »
If I were a trouble maker, I might suggest kidnapping random members and provide lard enemas.
Why?  Well, because I'm a bastard, that's why.

Offline Carling

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2013, 12:48:01 am »
We keep asking ourselves can Government Intrusion into our lives get any worse, and the answer keeps coming back Yes It Can. Trust me this will not end at Trans Fats. Salt and Sugar are next on the list.

The proletariat will be eating unsalted soda crackers and unseasoned chicken.  Meanwhile, it's waygu beef for the elites.  The dumbass 99% kids didn't even know who they should have been protesting against. 
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Offline kevindavis007

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2013, 01:19:54 am »
Be Well..
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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2013, 05:35:30 am »
If you want to control the people, control their health, control their diet, and you control their very lives.

Offline R4 TrumPence

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2013, 06:20:54 am »
I had a great aunt who weighed probably 275lbs or more. She was the best cook and always used LARD!!! YUMMY!!
She died of a heart attack... wait for it............AT AGE 96!!! :silly:


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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2013, 11:45:47 am »
I had a great aunt who weighed probably 275lbs or more. She was the best cook and always used LARD!!! YUMMY!!
She died of a heart attack... wait for it............AT AGE 96!!! :silly:
As I once posted elsewhere:

Ernest Borgnine was obese his entire life and died at 95.

Bruce Lee was the epitome of physical leanness and died at 32.

Skinnier is not always better.
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Offline aligncare

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2013, 12:29:49 pm »
Humans evolved eating trans fat. It makes no sense from an evolutionary standpoint to ban a food source that made us who we are, Homo sapiens. Of course, in it's hubris government thinks it can control time and the rising seas – so why not evolution?

Having said that, the food industry moved away from that evolutionary scheme when it began producing trans fats in the laboratory – hydrogenation increases product shelf life and decreases refrigeration requirements. There is ongoing debate about a possible differentiation between trans fats of natural origin and trans fats of man-made origin, but so far no scientific consensus has been found.

Milk and meat from cows and other ruminants contain naturally occurring trans fats in small quantities, about 2 to 5%. But by creating artificial trans fats and putting it in so much of what we eat we lose that natural balance of trans fats to other fatty acids. I think that's where the problem comes in. In humans, consumption of trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising LDL's.

If people were scientifically and medically literate we probably would have no need for regulation of trans fats. Unfortunately that is not the case. Have you ever seen people at Costco or BJ's loading up their carts with packaged food? Such little understanding of what they're putting in their bodies.

To avoid argumentation, I won't comment beyond what I've already said.




Offline Lipstick on a Hillary

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2013, 01:10:19 pm »
Are you not leaning libertarian anymore?

Offline aligncare

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2013, 01:19:20 pm »
I have a pragmatic side. Look at the evidence, Lipstick. Obesity is rampant – even among children, something never heard of before the food industry began tampering with the balance of nature.

I'd love to carry on this discussion later. I'm already late for work.

Offline mountaineer

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2013, 01:43:15 pm »
Give the government an inch ...

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Offline Lipstick on a Hillary

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2013, 02:10:23 pm »
I have a pragmatic side. Look at the evidence, Lipstick. Obesity is rampant – even among children, something never heard of before the food industry began tampering with the balance of nature.

I realize that, but my question had more to do with your support of government regulation, which is bound to keep creeping forward.  Do you really think that manufacturers won't figure out a way to substitute trans-fats with other forms of fat?   

Offline olde north church

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2013, 02:15:47 pm »
I have a pragmatic side. Look at the evidence, Lipstick. Obesity is rampant – even among children, something never heard of before the food industry began tampering with the balance of nature.

I'd love to carry on this discussion later. I'm already late for work.

Those hormones used to fatten cows don't stop working in humans.  Neither do chemicals used to make fields and fruits grow.  You're not just getting obese people, you are also getting humans reaching sexual maturity at younger ages.
Why?  Well, because I'm a bastard, that's why.

Offline aligncare

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2013, 02:28:01 pm »
I realize that, but my question had more to do with your support of government regulation, which is bound to keep creeping forward.  Do you really think that manufacturers won't figure out a way to substitute trans-fats with other forms of fat?

Okay, you drew me in, I have a minute.

I despise federal government regulation except for that which the Constitution provides for. No need to doubt me on that.

Manufacturers have figured out a way to increase shelf life – they're not going to give that up easily. I'm a doctor and I have to go with the data, not anecdotal evidence about how somebody was obese and lived to be 95, or who had a grandfather who smoked and lived to be 95. There's also many cases in the literature of people who were 35, never smoked, and died of lung cancer. But the data tells the story.

Later ....

Offline EC

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #15 on: November 08, 2013, 02:38:24 pm »
Those hormones used to fatten cows don't stop working in humans.  Neither do chemicals used to make fields and fruits grow.  You're not just getting obese people, you are also getting humans reaching sexual maturity at younger ages.

It's not just that, North. Noticed the spectacular and accelerating rise of autistic spectrum disorders since hormone, pesticide and preservative use became widespread? How many times to we throw up our hands in despair and complain the kids now have the attention span of a goldfish?

I am no Luddite - fully aware that feeding those we have already would be difficult to impossible without intensive farming, and that preservatives are preferable to food poisoning. Yet their long term effects are not established.

Humans evolved eating trans fat. It makes no sense from an evolutionary standpoint to ban a food source that made us who we are, Homo sapiens. Of course, in it's hubris government thinks it can control time and the rising seas – so why not evolution?

Having said that, the food industry moved away from that evolutionary scheme when it began producing trans fats in the laboratory – hydrogenation increases product shelf life and decreases refrigeration requirements. There is ongoing debate about a possible differentiation between trans fats of natural origin and trans fats of man-made origin, but so far no scientific consensus has been found.

Milk and meat from cows and other ruminants contain naturally occurring trans fats in small quantities, about 2 to 5%. But by creating artificial trans fats and putting it in so much of what we eat we lose that natural balance of trans fats to other fatty acids. I think that's where the problem comes in. In humans, consumption of trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising LDL's.

If people were scientifically and medically literate we probably would have no need for regulation of trans fats. Unfortunately that is not the case. Have you ever seen people at Costco or BJ's loading up their carts with packaged food? Such little understanding of what they're putting in their bodies.

To avoid argumentation, I won't comment beyond what I've already said.

You get no argument from me. We were designed to eat pretty much anything. One of my physiology profs once said the only more efficient digestive system in the animal kingdom is the goat's. I would add something to your comment though:

We are also supposed to be active. There is nothing wrong with trans fats if you have an active life - just ask the traditional Masai. Very high meat diet and the lowest incidence of heart disease on the planet. Running 30 or 40 miles in the course of a hunt tends to burn off the fat quite nicely. Unfortunately, most life in the West is not terribly active. Lot of sitting. Sure, there are people doing hard physical jobs - they are rarely overweight and have arteries clean as a whistle, since trans fats are the most efficient form of energy.
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Offline aligncare

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #16 on: November 08, 2013, 08:16:28 pm »
The inherent problem with trans fatty acids is not in it's chemical bonds or it's formula. Or, that it raises LDL's like all saturated fats do. It's that it's used ubiquitously in packaged foods. Eat peanut butter or tomato sauce or even ice cream and you're getting hydrogenated oils. So, where once we knew when and how much saturated fats we were eating, because it was found naturally only in beef or vegetable fats like coconut, or palm kernel oil, today it's in everything we eat. So we are getting too much saturated fats. It's out of balance with natural eating patterns established eons before the days of fast calories and uber delicious 3 am Duncan donuts.

The food industry itself cannot self regulate this health risk. They are only doing what consumers expect: low cost products that taste good and last long on the shelf. Hydrogenated fats do that.

But, like I said, if we had a scientifically literate population we wouldn't need government getting in the middle of this. But, sadly that's not the case.

Offline Cincinnatus

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #17 on: November 08, 2013, 08:53:06 pm »
Whether in fact trans fats are bad for me or not, I totally oppose the government telling me I may not have them. If these tinpot little dictators really want to improve America's well being then completely ban all tobacco products, all alcohol, and require everyone exercise a minimum of one half hour each day.

I really don't need Big Brother telling me how to live my life or what I may ingest.
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Offline Rapunzel

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #18 on: November 08, 2013, 09:06:36 pm »
Whether in fact trans fats are bad for me or not, I totally oppose the government telling me I may not have them. If these tinpot little dictators really want to improve America's well being then completely ban all tobacco products, all alcohol, and require everyone exercise a minimum of one half hour each day.

I really don't need Big Brother telling me how to live my life or what I may ingest.

Same here.  i made a choice to eat healthy and not smoke or drink or do drugs withot big nanny.
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Offline NavyCanDo

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #19 on: November 08, 2013, 11:50:45 pm »
If a person choose to cut Trans Fats from their diet then they can turn the bottle or box around and read the label, that's what its there for. To allow one more layer of government intrusion into our lives, one more level of un-checked bureaucracy  "for the sake of the people" is a huge mistake, and any conservative who argues this intrusion is justified has not thought the whole thing through.

Case in point, I remember when adding calories to menu items went into law. About half of the "conservatives" posting comments on the forum. (FeeRep at the time) thought it was a great thing. What did that get us?   Well here in Washington State restaurant can be fined thousands of dollars if the calorie count on their menus are not of a certain font and size, and these menus are inspected periodically by a government bureaucrat with a clipboard. Menu boards on fast food restaurants are so loaded with calorie information its hard to distinguish the price from the calories, and they take much longer to read.
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Offline aligncare

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #20 on: November 09, 2013, 01:29:41 am »
It's funny you should mention turning the bottle or box over and reading the label.

Conservatives opposed the 1965 Fair Packaging and Labeling Act as too much government intrusion.

* crickets *

Offline Cincinnatus

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #21 on: November 09, 2013, 02:12:14 am »
Conservatives opposed the 1965 Fair Packaging and Labeling Act as too much government intrusion.

Apparently, Aligncare, you think it a good idea the government impose its concept of the good on the private market. After all it's in our best interest, isn't it? In fact the government should be allowed to do whatever it wishes so long as it is in our best interests, right? Kinda like Obama altering everyone's health insurance because what he is giving us is so much better than what we already have.

Now although government protecting us from ourselves should be justification enough for nutrition labels on all the foods we eat and at the same time loading up menu boards at McDonalds with such information, there are a couple of other points you might want to pnder:

(1) If there were sufficient CONSUMER demand for such labels don't you think suppliers would respond? Or if a supplier even suspected there were enough demand he would lead the way so he would have a promotional edge on his competitors (who would then be forced to emulate him, even improve on his labels)?

(2) Who actually reads those things? As NavyCanDo notes, Menu boards on fast food restaurants are so loaded with calorie information its hard to distinguish the price from the calories, and they take much longer to read. They become background noise, my guess ignored by more than bother to read them. For some they serve a positive function, for most I doubt they have any meaning.

But that's ok. Government requires them because it cares and demands we have the information...and pay for its do-goodism.
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Offline aligncare

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #22 on: November 09, 2013, 02:52:56 am »
We had CONSUMER products for a couple hundred years. What took so long to put basic nutritional information on the labels? Labels that today most people find indispensable to their shopping and food consumption practices.

Offline Cincinnatus

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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #23 on: November 09, 2013, 03:01:58 am »
I do not think you can prove this statement: Labels that today most people find indispensable to their shopping and food consumption practices. Some, maybe.

As for this: We had CONSUMER products for a couple hundred years. What took so long to put basic nutritional information on the labels? Perhaps because consumers did not care but some Liberal consumer advocacy group(s) did and used their political muscle to impose their will on us all.

Now please address the central issue: do you agree the government has the authority to require the private sector to require things like nutrition labels and ObamaCare because they are in our best interest? Do you perceive any limit to that power?
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Re: FDA to Ban Artery-Clogging Trans Fats
« Reply #24 on: November 09, 2013, 03:04:49 am »
Give the government an inch ...

This all started with seat belt and helmet laws.

Progressive indeed.
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