The trans fat labeling rule promulgated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 9, 2003 is already changing consumer demand and encouraging product reformulation in the US – as expected by the FDA. The trans fat labeling rule is a pronouncement by US-FDA on food labels as follows: That the trans fat content of food must be listed in the nutritional facts panel of conventional food products and some dietary food supplements by January 1, 2006.
The food exporters of our country to US are affected by the trans fat labeling rule by the US –FDA. Simply because they have to comply with this trans fat labeling rule. Complying with this trans fat labeling rule is not an easy task. Why? Because our food exporters have to understand what trans fat is all about. Seminars and workshops about trans fat have to be conducted for our food exporters to US. Second, the food exporters have to coordinate with our Bureau of Food and Drug Administration (BFAD) to inquire as to the names of the accredited laboratories that can be commissioned to determine the trans fat content of the products to be shipped out to the US. Hopefully, the government agencies involved will attend to all of these to insure that our food exports to the US will not be rejected for failing to comply with the trans fat labeling rule of the US-FDA.
Under the US-FDA trans fat labeling rule, if the trans fat content of food products is less than 0.5 gram, the US food manufacturers are not required to list the amount of trans fat in the nutrition facts panel of food labels or if the US food manufacturers wish to list the trans fat content in the nutritional facts label then the phrase "0 trans fat content" is sufficient compliance. However, some nutrition advocacy groups in the US are clamoring that the trans fat content of food products, even if less than 0.5 gram should be indicated in the nutrition facts panel of food labels – to help consumers (especially those who are eating a lot of food products rich in trans fat) keep track of the trans fat contents of the food products that they are already taking. For example, one eats daily 8 food products each with 0.5 grams trans fat content – in addition to other foods with higher trans fat content. While 0.5 grams trans fat content taken alone is small, if we add the 0.5 grams trans fat content of the 8 food products consumed, the total trans fat content is 4 grams which is a significant amount.
The trans fat being discussed in this column are not the natural trans fat that is found primarily in some animal-based food like milk and beef – but the trans fat (also called trans fatty acids) that is form when hydrogen is added into vegetable oils through a process known as hydrogenation. As mentioned in my two earlier articles, hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods. Also, as earlier mentioned, trans fat are found in some food like vegetable shortenings, margarine, crackers, salad dressings, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods and other processed food made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.
Definitely, lessening our intake of food products with low trans fat content will be good for our health. With the trans fat labeling rule in US, Americans will be encouraged to make heart-healthy food choices and thereby reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Likewise, we Filipinos should also be concerned about the trans fat content of the food products that we are taking. True, we cannot totally eliminate trans fat entirely from our diet but we can reduce the amount of trans fat in our diets by limiting our intake of foods that contain trans fat. Thus the need to educate Filipino consumers on the importance of lowering their intake of trans fat.
Consumer education materials on trans fat should be distributed by the Department of Health (DoH) soonest.
There are US statistics showing that sales of US companies complying the trans fat labeling rule even before then January 1, 2006 deadline have increased 12 percent to US$6.4 billion for the 52 weeks ended October 2, 2004 compared with the previous 52-week period. The oil suppliers also have been busy with new oils and oil blends as alternative oils – that cut trans fat in foods.
Hopefully, we will soon have in our country a trans fat rule similar to the US-FDA trans fat labeling rule – as well as the trans fat rule in some other countries. To give the consumers in this country ample choice in the foods that will help lower our intake of unhealthy fats.
Have a joyful day!
