FDA TO REQUIRE TRANS FAT CONTENT ON FOOD LABELS

BARBARA MURRAY

WASHINGTON -- Government concern about trans fats in the American diet dates back more than 20 years. For maybe half as long, consumers have been trying to avoid these fats, often on the advice of their doctors, grocery chain dieticians and nutritionists told SN following a recent labeling announcement from the Food and Drug Administration.

The agency last month announced it would be requiring trans fat content to appear on the nutrition facts labels of foods. The FDA was supposed to have issued this rule a year or two ago. Now, a spokesman told SN the agency is looking to issue the rule perhaps early in the 2003 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Yet implementation will probably take a year or two longer, those familiar with the 1992-1994 nutrition labeling rule said. The requirement will force national brands and retailers' own brands to be tested, to see how much trans fatty acids they contain.

Trans fatty acids are vegetable oils that have been altered to be firm at room temperature. They are found in many processed foods in the Center Store aisles, and they extend shelf life. They are not fully saturated fat, but they have been shown to raise the LDL ("bad") cholesterol while lowering the healthy kind, the high-density (HDL) cholesterol, putting people at risk for heart disease.

"Food manufacturers thought they were doing something good," said Jane Andrews, corporate nutritionist for Wegmans Food Markets, Rochester, N.Y. "They thought that if they altered them to behave like shortening or lard, it would be healthier than either of those fats." Trans fats have a wonderful tenderizing effect, she added, and are used widely in the food-processing industry, but they are also found naturally in meats and dairy products.

A report issued July 10 by the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, claims that about 2% of the calories in the American diet is supplied by trans fats. "Maybe 35% to 37% of our diet is fat, typical across the nation, and 2% of that is trans fat," Andrews explained.

"Maybe it will help people if they do see the quantity on the label, so they can compare the levels," Andrews said, adding that it would be helpful if the new allergy labeling requirements could be coordinated with the trans fat labeling, so that label changes would have to made only once instead of twice in close succession.

"The labeling will help identify how much is in there," added Melissa Buoscio, corporate dietitian for Jewel-Osco, Chicago. "It is my understanding that they will come up with a similar statement to the way it is done now with saturated fats. The message is that trans fats act similarly to saturated fats -- they tend to raise the LDL cholesterol -- and that's why we're focusing on it."

The IOM report did not give a daily intake value because although the experts think "the less, the better," these fats are unavoidable in an ordinary diet, a spokesman for the FDA said. Instead, the NAS recommended such consumption be as low as possible while eating a nutritionally adequate diet.

The FDA will move to require a mandatory declaration on food packages' Nutrition Facts panel, but without a daily value, explained the spokesman.

Although this issue has been discussed for years, Alison Kretser, a registered dietitian who is director of science and nutrition for the Grocery Manufacturers of America here, told SN that the FDA had been waiting for the report from the Institute of Medicine. The chapter on trans fat will be part of a larger report still to be issued by the National Academy of Sciences, she said.

At present, the only way to tell if a product contains trans fatty acids is to look for the words "partially hydrogenated oils" and where it falls in the list, to judge if it's a high-fat item, supermarket dieticians told SN.

"I know consumers want it [labeling]," said Leah McGrath, corporate dietitian for Ingles Markets, Black Mountain, N.C. "It's going to be very hard for manufacturers to get rid of it [trans fat] since it makes cookies and crackers crunchy, and keeps them crunchy longer.

"There is a lot of confusion about it on the part of consumers. I think they will be relieved once it is on the label. It will be very helpful for those who are concerned about their cholesterol," she added.

The GMA's Kretser said the association supports advice to consumers to keep their total level of fat intake low. "We encourage consumers to consume a balanced and diverse diet, with meat, fruit, vegetables and grains." Regarding saturated fats, she said, "We are eating fewer and fewer of them, and the food industry has been very proactive in reducing or eliminating trans fatty acids in its products."

Gene Grabowski, vice president of the GMA, said the approach taken by manufacturers could vary.

"Some companies may reformulate or search for an alternative through science," Grabowski continued. "Some may keep it the same and label it and see how consumers respond. Different companies will respond in different ways."