Trans Fats Food List: FDA Orders Manufacturers to Oust Artery-Clogging PHOs in 3 Years

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ordered manufacturers to remove all trans fat in their products by the year 2018.

According to CNN, the FDA's final decision concerning the fatty ingredient was released on Tuesday. Trans fats are now considered unsafe, according to the FDA announcement.

CNN explains that trans fat has been linked to increased body weight and memory loss. Even more worrisome is the fact that trans fat can lead to heart disease, since it increases bad cholesterol called LDL.

The Center for Science in Public Interest, a consumer group, pushed for the ban of trans fats in all food products in the United States, reports the New York Times. Michael F. Jacobson, the executive director of the consumer group says: "This is the final nail in the coffin of trans fats. In terms of lives saved, I think eliminating trans fats is the single most important change to our food supply."

It would seem that scientists along with the FDA have taken several steps before officially declaring that trans fats were indeed bad for consumption.

Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, spoke about the process of eliminating trans fats from the American Diet.

Nissen explained to Time: "It's just not practical to do a randomized clinical trial or trans fats, so we've relied on observation studies, which look at dietary histories and patterns of eating to try and associate them with heart disease. That's a longer road."

Nissen goes on to explain that the "intermediate step" towards banning trans fats in food products occurred when the FDA ordered in 2006 for companies to disclose if their products contained trans fats.

According to CNN, after the labeling order by the FDA, there was a decline in trans fat consumption by 78 percent. The labeling requirement apparently resulted in companies reducing the amount of trans fats in their products.

Now, trans fats must be removed from all food products. Despite the ruling, the Grocery Manufacturers Association is planning on petitioning the FDA for permission to continue using small amounts of trans fats in certain products.

According to the food agency, manufacturers have already reduced added trans fats in their food by more than 86 percent. The agency also argues that trans fats can not be completely removed from products, since small amounts of it occur naturally in meat and dairy products.