FDA declares trans fats unsafe

[Amtrak7]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/health/fda-trans-fats.html

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday proposed measures that would all but eliminate artificial trans fats, the artery clogging substance that is a major contributor to heart disease in the United States, from the food supply.

Under the proposal, which is open for public comment for 60 days, the agency would declare that partially hydrogenated oils, the source of trans fats, were no longer “generally recognized as safe,” a legal category that permits the use of salt and caffeine, for example.

 

That means companies would have to prove scientifically that partially hydrogenated oils are safe to eat, a very high hurdle given that scientific literature overwhelmingly shows the contrary. The Institute of Medicine has concluded that there is no safe level for consumption of artificial trans fats.

 

“That will make it a challenge, to be honest,” said Michael R. Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods at the F.D.A.

Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, the agency’s commissioner, said the rules could prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year.

 

 

All I can say...IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! This is such a big step forward, hopefully the corporate lobby doesn't force them to impose unreasonable delays.

[realizm]

The increase in cases of cardiovascular disease can also be attibuted to a sharp increase of cases of diabetes. Which in turn is the adverse effect of overcomsuption of carbohydrates which make up the foods that are fried in artificial trans fats creating a dietary vicious cycle leading to heart disease. Suprised the NY Times did not point that out.

[YankeesPwnMets]

I can already smell the lobbyists....

[realizm]

Beer is a source of carbs too which can become harmful in excess, hence the beer belly and in time disorders such as diabetes. Wine or hard liquor in moderation would be a better alternative.

[B35 via Church]

Although I heard of it, I'm not a health nut.....

 

What exactly is a trans fat? Is it something I can visibly see in what I'm eating or something.....

Pretty soon, all food is gonna be considered unsafe (if it hasn't already).... Everything's wrong with everything.....

 

I was done after there was a study a while back that bread increases the risk of cancer; from white bread to burnt toast.....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I don't even see why this is news... I thought the FDA already required this.... The only time I eat trans fat now is when I eat in foods that have it occur naturally.... Haagen Dazs has it in some of their ice creams for example, but it occurs naturally and I don't eat ice cream that much anyway.  Outside of that I don't consume it at all because I check everything that I eat and stay away from artificial products.

[MTA Bus]

If it can prevent 20,000 heart attacks a year, then they should definitely do it.

[Amtrak7]

I don't even see why this is news... I thought the FDA already required this.... The only time I eat trans fat now is when I eat in foods that have it occur naturally.... Haagen Dazs has it in some of their ice creams for example, but it occurs naturally and I don't eat ice cream that much anyway.  Outside of that I don't consume it at all because I check everything that I eat and stay away from artificial products.

 

Today, if a food has <= 0.5g trans fat per serving, it can say "no trans fat". Under this proposed rule, the chemical compound in its artficial state (the vast majority of trans fat out there) is forbidden from being used at all.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Today, if a food has <= 0.5g trans fat per serving, it can say "no trans fat". Under this proposed rule, the chemical compound in its artficial state (the vast majority of trans fat out there) is forbidden from being used at all.

That's news to me... I thought NYC had different laws when it came to this topic? Didn't Bloomberg require that all artificial trans fats be removed from foods sold here?

[Turbo19]

This should be a major no shit moment to most, with the exception of those are that ignorant to what goes into their bodies to begin with, which is actually a fair size of the population actually.

[Roadcruiser1]

Okay...

 

-How about getting rid of toxic chemicals in vaccines?

 

-How about GMO's and GMO labeling?

 

-How about some more research into fluoride?

 

-How about aspartame?

 

-How about bovine growth hormone?

 

When they correct those problems then we will see if they are really going to change. Until then it's nothing more than a blank check..........

[LTA1992]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/health/fda-trans-fats.html

 

All I can say...IT'S ABOUT TIME!!! This is such a big step forward, hopefully the corporate lobby doesn't force them to impose unreasonable delays.

Almost everything you eat these days are unsafe for you. Genetically modified organisms, vegetables modified to produce pesticides or are constantly showered by pesticides, and YOU are eating that poison. Animals stuffed with hormones and steroids. Fluoride in the water, pollution in the air, almost everything your body consumes is dangerous for you.

[bobtehpanda]

Almost everything you eat these days are unsafe for you. Genetically modified organisms, vegetables modified to produce pesticides or are constantly showered by pesticides, and YOU are eating that poison. Animals stuffed with hormones and steroids. Fluoride in the water, pollution in the air, almost everything your body consumes is dangerous for you.

 

The verdict is still out on GMO, and not <i>all</i> GMOs are equally good or bad for you; there are GMOs specifically designed to make staple foods nutrient-rich so that poor people may be less nutrient deficient.

 

The problem is when all the GMOs are licensed by a few big corporations, such as Mosanto. But not all GMO is bad.

Although I heard of it, I'm not a health nut.....

 

What exactly is a trans fat? Is it something I can visibly see in what I'm eating or something.....

Pretty soon, all food is gonna be considered unsafe (if it hasn't already).... Everything's wrong with everything.....

 

I was done after there was a study a while back that bread increases the risk of cancer; from white bread to burnt toast.....

 

Trans fat is a kind of fat that is created by cooking certain oils. Unlike other fats, which are more or less possible to burn off with varying levels of difficulty, trans fat is nearly impossible, if not impossible to burn off.

 

It is also nearly 100% man-made; some natural trans fat exists in meats, but for the most part it comes from man-made things like partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, etc.

 

White bread (and in general, very processed food) is very bad for you. It's healthier to get bread from a local baker, if you still have one.

That's news to me... I thought NYC had different laws when it came to this topic? Didn't Bloomberg require that all artificial trans fats be removed from foods sold here?

 

It's sort of like the FDA regulations on bugs and hair in food. It's pretty much impossible to remove every last bit of it, so there's a tiny allowance for error.

[LTA1992]

The verdict is still out on GMO, and not <i>all</i> GMOs are equally good or bad for you; there are GMOs specifically designed to make staple foods nutrient-rich so that poor people may be less nutrient deficient.

 

The problem is when all the GMOs are licensed by a few big corporations, such as Mosanto. But not all GMO is bad.

 

 

Well then if that's the case, why is it that the US is one of the few countries not to mention GMOs on their food labels? We have a right to know.

[YankeesPwnMets]

Okay...

 

-How about getting rid of toxic chemicals in vaccines?

 

-How about GMO's and GMO labeling?

 

-How about some more research into fluoride?

 

-How about aspartame?

 

-How about bovine growth hormone?

 

When they correct those problems then we will see if they are really going to change. Until then it's nothing more than a blank check..........

-GMO foods have not been scientifically proven to be unsafe, yet they have not been scientifically proven to be safe either. However, I still think that all GMO foods should be labeled.

 

-Residents of Portland, Oregon have more tooth decay cases than residents of most cities in the US. Portland also happens to not add fluoride to their water. Whether this is a coincidence or not, I don't know, but its food for thought. However, I also believe that fluoride requires more research. The fact that fluoride for water fluoridation comes from Hydrogen Fluoride and Silicon Tetrafluoride (both highly dangerous compounds) also raises eyebrows

 

-Aspartame should be banned. I don't think there is any question about that.

 

-I also agree that BGH and antibiotics should be banned from being used in healthy animals.

[bobtehpanda]

Well then if that's the case, why is it that the US is one of the few countries not to mention GMOs on their food labels? We have a right to know.

 

Lobbying by previously mentioned biotech corporations (such as Mosanto).

 

When you get down to it, a lot of problems with America can be traced back to lobbying.

[Roadcruiser1]

You guys should look at this........

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yeah even when I shop at Whole Foods it's really hard to buy stuff that is GMO free or doesn't have some sort of garbage in it.  Not everything that Whole Foods sells is great to eat though they try to package all of the products they sell as "fresh and wholesome" ,  so I always read the labels, including for organic products.  I bought a bag of organic potato chips from the 365 Whole Foods brand and couldn't believe that they put maltodextrin in it.  It's just a bag of potato chips with black pepper.  Couldn't understand why it was necessary to add that for... Then they put "organic maltodextrin" as if that makes it any better.  The jury is still out on maltodextrin but I try to avoid eating anything that has it just in case, but it's really hard because even the so called good stuff may have some cheap fillers in it, but it's less likely when it's organic.

 

The other filler that I find in a lot of foods (even organic items) is soy lecithin.

[Roadcruiser1]

Organic soy lecithin actually exists. Soy lecithin usually is used as an emulsifier to mix ingredients that usually can't be mixed. Originally people used egg yolks as an emulsifier, but that doesn't allow food to last long along with the fact that there was also a risk for salmonella. So they moved to soy lecithin. 

 

Maltodextrin is just a fancy name for starch. Any grain which contains high starch content like corn, wheat, potatoes, and etc. can have their starchy contents extracted to make maltodextrin as a food ingredient.

 

Ironically I question the safety of carrageenan which is a seaweed extract that has been proven to be toxic. Ironically it is allowed in Organic food so I watch out for it...........