20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths. This is what could be avoided if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decides to ban trans fatty acids in industrial food products offered to Americans.
These artificial hydrogenated fats called trans fatty acids are present in large numbers on the plates of Americans because they allow manufacturers to improve the shelf life or enhance the flavor of foods. They are also popular with restaurants that use them as frying oils.
In recent years, some manufacturers have set an example by stopping using these bad fats in prepared meals. US consumption fell from 4.6 grams per day in 2003 to around 1 gram/day in 2012, according to the FDA.
But the movement initiated is still too timid for the FDA: “Although the consumption of artificial hydrogenated fats (or trans fatty acids) potentially dangerous to health has decreased over the past two decades in the United States, it remains a major health concern. public,” said Dr. Margaret Hamburg, director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), quoted by AFP.
What is wrong with these trans fatty acids? If you consume too much of it, you risk raising your bad cholesterol (LDL) and being more exposed to cardiovascular disease. “Other studies suggest a link with cancers, in particular those of the breast and the colon, as well as an increased risk of spontaneous abortion”, explained nutritionist Dr. Laurent Chevallier in our columns. In France, “trans” fatty acids are limited to 1% in industrial products.
Other bad fats
Classified as “not recognized as safe”, these trans fatty acids will be considered food additives if the FDA decides to ban them after a 60-day public consultation. In other words, these hydrogenated fats will no longer be able to enter into the composition of prepared foods.
Does this augur the end of the junk foodin the USA ? The answer is clearly no for health professionals. “Fast food will still make you obese even without trans fat because the foods are loaded with bad saturated fats and unhealthy sugar in the amounts eaten in the typical American diet,” said Christopher Ochner, director of the Center for Health. adolescent health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
