The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week re-launched the thorny debate on the use of trans fatty acids in food processing, and the labeling thereof, when it reopened the comment period for a proposed rule first published in the Federal Register in November 1999.
The proposed rule sought to amend current FDA regulations on nutrition labelling in order to include the amount of trans fatty acids present in a food in the amount and percentage of Daily Value declared for saturated fatty acids.
Regina Hildwine, senior director of Food Labeling and Standards for the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), said: "Like FDA, NFPA believes that food labels should provide consumers with information based on sound, modern science, that is truthful, non-misleading and understandable, to help them select healthful diets.
"FDA also is in the process of establishing criteria for nutrient content and health claims regarding trans fats. NFPA strongly supports regulations that enable food companies to provide truthful and non-misleading information on the nutritional attributes and benefits of food products. NFPA will be studying this proposed rule closely, and we will provide input to FDA, as appropriate, on trans fat labeling," she continued.
The FDA said that since the publication of the proposed rule, the National Academy of Sciences has issued a report - 'Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids'- that has failed to provide a dietary reference intake value for trans fat.
In response to this report, FDA intends to take a more incremental approach and provide for mandatory declaration of trans fat content on a separate line within the Nutrition Facts panel.
In addition, the agency has reopened the comment period in order to receive a comment on a new proposal to place a footnote statement on the label when trans fat is listed. The feedback from interested parties also extends to FDA propositions on when the new rules should be enforced, in particular for those food manufacturers who are keen to begin the labeling of trans fat content before publication of a final rule.
Written or electronic comments should be submitted by December 16, 2002.
Food manufacturers, both in the US and Europe, are increasingly coming under pressure from consumer groups who are against the use of trans fatty acids, a type of fat linked to heart disease, in foods. If the proposed rule is cleared, the FDA move could well go some way towards appeasing major critics of trans fatty acids.