FDA: Partially Hydrogenated Oils Must Be Removed from Food Products Within 3 Years

By Kristin J. Kelley

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Food manufacturers must remove partially hydrogenated oils — the major source of artificial trans fats in processed foods — from their products within 3 years, the FDA has announced.

The agency finalized its determination, first proposed in 2013, that partially hydrogenated oils are not "generally recognized as safe" for human consumption. This action — in part a response to citizen petitions and based on data linking trans-fat consumption to health risks — will reduce coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of fatal myocardial infarctions per year, the FDA predicts.

After June 18, 2018, companies must petition the agency for approval to add partially hydrogenated oils to their products.