Trans Fat to Be Added to Nutrition Facts Label
Food Insight
NewsBite
July/August 2003
Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, announced that the food label would change for the first time since its debut a decade ago. The revised label will contain a new line item identifying the amount of trans fat in a serving. "By putting this data on food labels, we are arming American consumers with even more information to make healthy choices about the foods they eat," said Thompson. Trans fat is formed when vegetable oils are made more solid or made into a more stable liquid. Trans fat naturally occurs in small amounts in some meat and dairy products, but it is found mainly in foods with partially hydrogenated oils such as baked and fried foods. Currently, trans fats make up only 2.6 percent of the calories in the diet. The message from health professionals is not just to be aware of trans fat, but to continue to improve health by reducing dietary saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fat. The requirement for the new information on the Nutrition Facts label will go into effect on January 1, 2006.
