Proposed Ban on Trans Fats

Health Day. (2013, November 8). Nutritionists: Fda trans fat ban good for america’s heart health. Retrieved from http://www.healthfinder.gov/News/Article.aspx?id=681955

Recently the FDA announced a proposal to ban trans fats for the US food supply. The above referenced article pointed out that although this ban would cause some problems for the food industry that dietitians feel that it will ultimately benefit the nation’s health. The article also pointed out that because of consumer demand for healthier products that the food industry has already eliminated most of the trans fats from the food supply. The article says that the FDA estimates, that removing them completely from the food supply could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 5,000 deaths per year. The move away from trans fats occurred as the consumers knowledge of the effects that they have on the body namely that the simultaneously increase bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease good cholesterol (HDL). We can’t assume that just because the food doesn’t contain trans fats that it is necessarily good for you. Foods containing butter or other saturated fats and that are high in sugar, are still not a healthy foods  (Health Day, 2013). Saturated fats, however, are better than trans fats because although they increase LDL’s they do not decrease HDL’s (Help Guide. org, 2013) . This all leads me to wonder how the food industry is going to address this issue especially with regard to baked goods and what choices the home baker will have for trans fat-free shortenings.  For more information refer to the link above.

Reference:

Help Guide.org. (2013, September). Choosing Healthy Fats…Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm