The processing vehicle used to impart certain functionality to food ingredients, the hydrogenation process that produces trans fat has become synonymous with “bad fat” in the eye of the consumer. Trans fat has been linked to elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides, increasing the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. All of these factors have prompted the FDA to require the declaration of the level of trans fat on the Nutrition Facts panel, the first major change to the panel format since its inception in NLEA 1993 final rule.
“Imparting truthful, factual, non-controversial information about the presence or absence and amount of trans fat in food products on the label will provide consumers with information to help them reduce their risk of coronary heart disease,” notes the Final Rule on Trans Fat Declaration FDA, HHS, which will be made effective January 1, 2006.