July 9, 2003 — Food manufacturers will soon be forced by law to show the levels of trans-fatty acids in their products, with the FDA announcing a bid to bring the unhealthy fats to consumers' attention.
"By putting trans-fat information on food labels, we are making it possible for consumers to make the right choice to lower their intake of these unhealthy fats," US Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said in a statement.
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The measure will be made obligatory from January 2006, Thompson said, but manufacturers are expected to start bringing in changes to their products well before that date.
Consumption of fatty acids is necessary for good health and in nature two types exist: saturated — such as animal fats, butter and meat — and unsaturated, which come from vegetable sources.
In an ideal diet, saturated fats would represent less than one third of fats consumed, and unsaturated fats two thirds.
However, trans-fats are not naturally occurring but fabricated for the agro-food industry to produce hydrogenization — the addition of a hydrogen molecule to oils to transform liquid fats into solids.
Such trans-fats can be found in prepared dishes such as microwave dinners, cookies, cakes and sweets etc.
Thompson, speaking on the television network CBS, said it was hoped the measure would force companies to compete with each other on lowered levels of trans-fats in their products.
"We're also hoping that companies are going to start competing ... and they will find ways in which they can reduce the trans fatty acids or eliminate them, and therefore make your foods a lot healthier," he said.
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