Whatever became of that year-old proposal to remove a killer additive from our food?

How the FDA lets food manufacturers get away with murder

It was a year ago that the media was shouting “Hooray for the FDA!”

It appeared that the agency had finally put on its big-boy pants and was going to remove trans fats from our food supply.

Well, let’s stop the cheering. Because it looks like a false alarm.

Big Food was up in arms over the announcement. Why, this would cost them zillions of dollars! Not to mention the fact that without trans fats all those cupcakes and rolls and bread wouldn’t last as long in the store.

So along with all the food that contains partially hydrogenated oil (the source of trans fats), the FDA proposal has been sitting on the shelf, too.

But if you thought trans fats were only bad for your heart, a new study is showing why it’s more urgent than ever for us to do what the FDA won’t — get trans fats off the table once and for all.

It looked — for a short time anyway — like we might be able to go grocery shopping without spending all day scrutinizing food labels.

The FDA had announced that those artery-clogging partially hydrogenated oils were out the door.

Of course we all know that the FDA works as fast as molasses up a hill, so we didn’t think it would happen overnight. But now it looks like the agency has no plans to do anything anytime soon.

And neither do food manufacturers.

But if you thought this dietary disaster was only bad for your heart, new research is showing that trans fats can take a toll on your memory, too.

Researchers from the University of California found that out by studying men 45 and younger. But there’s no reason to think these findings don’t apply to all of us.

The men in the study had to recall words they were shown on cards. And the more trans fats they had in their diets, the worse they did.

The lead researcher, Dr. Beatrice Golomb, said that the memory loss is likely due to the fact that trans fats reduce blood flow in vital areas of the brain.

Golomb called the additive an “anti-food,” something that will “adversely affect” the function of our cells.

Of course despite the FDA’s lack of actually doing anything about this, we’ve all been trying to take matters into our own hands and be careful about the food we buy.

But even your best efforts to cut trans fats out of your diet may not be enough.

Because that’s where another FDA deception comes in.

It’s the “zero” trans fat fable. A loophole as big as the national debt. Something that allows food manufacturers to get away with legally lying.

As long as a product contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving, it can be labeled as having none.

For example, USA Today found that of over 100 Keebler products, 42 said they were trans fat-free, yet still contained partially hydrogenated oils.

So don’t just check the Nutrition Facts label — go right to the ingredient list. And if you see any mention of partially hydrogenated oils of any kind, that product should go right back where you found it.

When even a mainstream organization like the CDC admits that trans fats cause over 20,000 heart attacks a year and more than 7,000 deaths, you know this isn’t something we can wait for the FDA to take any real action on.

Sources:
“Put down the doughnut: Trans fat may hurt your memory” Jen Christensen, November 26, 2014, CNN, cnn.com