Q&A: The FDA is banning trans fats. We just figured out how to measure them.

The Washington Post interviewed AOCS Chief Science Officer and Technical Director Richard Cantrill, Ph.D. regarding the Food and Drug Administration announcement that it intends to ban artificial trans fatty acids from the nation's food supply.

"On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it intends to ban artificial trans fatty acids from the nation's food supply because the substances increase the risk of heart disease. According to the Institute of Medicine, "there is no safe level of consumption of artificial trans fat." But how will we be sure that our food doesn't contain any of the stuff whatsoever? We called up the AOCS, which used to be called the American Oil Chemists Society and now just goes by "Your Global Oil and Fats Connection[...]"

•  Read the entire interview here.

• Find out more about trans fat from AOCS.

Additional Resources

Tentative Determination Regarding Partially Hydrogenated Oils; Request for Comments and for Scientific Data and Information (A Notice by the Food and Drug Administration on 11/08/2013)

FDA Opens 60-day Comment Period on Measure to Further Reduce Trans Fat in Processed Foods (The November 7, 2013 FDA CFSAN Constituent Update)

FDA Targets Trans Fat in Processed Foods ( FDA Consumer Update)

Trans Fat: Taking the Next Important Step (FDA Blog Post by Michael R. Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine)

"F.D.A. Ruling Would All but Eliminate Trans Fats"

"FDA Rules Trans Fats Unsafe in Food; Determination Could Lead to Ban in Baked Goods, Other Foods"