FDA Releases New Trans Fat Labeling Guidelines

July 9, 2003 -- Attention all snackers...the federal government has issued a long-awaited rule requiring food makers to list the amount of artery-clogging trans fats on all product labels. A new line addressing trans fat content on product labels will be mandatory by January 1, 2006, and the food industry is racing to comply with the ruling and reduce the amounts of trans fats in many favorite snack foods.

If munching is your great American pastime, be forewarned that the new trans fat labeling may make you think twice before you reach into that bag of cookies, chips, or other snack foods. Trans fats occur naturally in meats and dairy products. Studies have proven that trans fats not only raise bad cholesterol levels but suppress good cholesterol that keeps arteries clean.

Reduction and reporting of trans fat content in foods is important, but consumers are warned that awareness of trans fats should not thwart efforts to reduce all fat intake to achieve overall good nutrition and healthy eating objectives.

Read more about the new trans fat labeling ruling at the Department of Health & Human Services web site's news release about trans fat labeling. For more information about trans fats, see the FDA Fact Sheet: What Every Consumer Should Know About Trans Fatty Acids.

Source: Department of Health & Human Services