US moves to ban trans fats

The US Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday 7 November that it had reached a “preliminary determination” that partially hydrogenated oils, the primary source of artificial trans fats in processed foods, “are not recognized as safe” for use in food.1

Currently, partially hydrogenated oils have been designated as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) for their use in food. Such products can be added to food products without prior approval of the FDA.

Should partially hydrogenated oils lose their GRAS designation, manufacturers would have to prove to …