Sunday 21 June 2015
After years of research showing the harms of trans fat, the unhealthy substance has finally been banned as a food additive. But now that trans fat has been taken off the table, is there another highly concerning ingredient that should be banned next?
Experts say there really is no exact parallel to trans fat; the ingredient is unique in just how bad it is for you, how common it was in the food supply and how unessential it was for nutrition. But there are a few candidates for the "next trans fat," although they will probably be harder to regulate, experts said.
On Tuesday (June 16), the Food and Drug Administration ruled that trans fat is not "generally recognized as safe" to be added to food, meaning that the ingredient will now be considered an illegal food additive. Companies have three years to either remove trans fat from their food, or petition the FDA for permission to use the additive in specific cases.
