In June, FDA announced its determination that PHOs are not generally recognized as safe or GRAS for use in human food. This determination requires food manufacturers to submit a food additive petition for safe uses of PHOs and to phase out the uses of PHOs that are not included in a food additive petition by 2018. FDA Acting Commissioner Stephen Ostroff expects the decision to remove this source of trans fat will reduce the rate of coronary heart disease in Americans and prevent fatal heart attacks.
In a response to FDA’s decision, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) submitted a petition asking the food and beverage regulator to approve specific, low-level uses of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods.