A report released by America's Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences claims that there is no known safe intake amount of trans fatty acids in the diet.
The findings could see the introduction of food labels that list the amount of trans fatty acids in food so consumers can measure the potential health risks of the food they buy, reports Healthnotes Newswire.
Trans fatty acids are partially saturated (also called "partially hydrogenated") fats that do not occur naturally in foods, except in small quantities in some dairy products. They are produced during the processing of unsaturated oils such as soybean oil and corn oil and are found in margarine, shortening, and foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. The partial hydrogenation process contributes to the food's texture (usually creamy) and spreadability and increases its shelf life.
However concerns over the health risks of trans fatty acids have increased in recent years. Studies show that these fats elevate total cholesterol levels, decrease high-density lipoprotein ("good") cholesterol, and interfere with essential fatty acids and with the liver's detoxification system. There is circumstantial evidence that consuming trans fatty acids may increase the risk of developing heart disease or cancer, according to the Healthnotes report.
The Institute of Medicine's report is the result of a petition filed in 1994 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest requesting that the Food and Drug Administration require food manufacturers to list trans fatty acids as part of the "Nutrition Facts" on food labels. While saturated and unsaturated fat amounts are currently listed, trans fatty acid specifications are not required in product labelling.
The FDA made its decision following the report by an expert panel of the Institute of Medicine. The FDA are thought to be likely to follow the panel's recommendations and require that all food manufacturers disclose the amount of trans fatty acids in their products. No regulations on the issue have yet been disclosed.