Artificial Trans Fats Are Officially Banned

Once ubiquitous in everything from frozen pizza to coffee creamer to popcorn, artificial trans fats were — as of Monday — banished from U.S. restaurants and grocery stores.

Foodmakers have had three years to phase out the ingredient, which the Food and Drug Administration ruled unsafe to eat in 2015. Nutrition researchers and public health advocates long ago found artificial trans fats, a modified form of vegetable oil, raised “bad” cholesterol and contributed to heart disease.

That prompted a wave of voluntary recipe changes at food companies, and trans fat consumption has plummeted over the past decade. But Monday’s deadline marked a final chapter in the U.S. fight against trans fats at a time when other countries are beginning to contemplate a similar change.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: The Washington Post