"FDA Tells Food Industry To Phase Out Artificial Trans Fats"

"WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is ordering food companies to phase out the use of heart-clogging trans fats over the next three years, calling them a threat to public health.

The move will remove artificial trans fats from the food supply almost entirely. Consumers aren't likely to notice much of a difference in their favorite foods, but the administration says the move will reduce coronary heart disease and prevent thousands of fatal heart attacks every year.

Scientists say there are no health benefits to the fats, which are used in processing food and in restaurants, usually to improve texture, shelf life or flavor. They can raise levels of "bad" cholesterol and lower "good" cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States."

Mary Clare Jalonick reports for the Associated Press June 16, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"It's Official: Obama Axes Trans Fat" (Politico)

"F.D.A. Gives Food Industry 3 Years to Eliminate Trans Fats" (New York Times)