USFDA to implement new food labeling rule starting next year

The US Food and Drugs Administration (USFDA) will start implementing on Jan.1, 2006 a new food labeling that requires disclosure of trans fat contents in food to be sold in the US market.

In a report to Trade and Industry (DTI) Senior Undersecretary Thomas Aquino, Romeo Borillo, Philippine Commercial Attaché (CA) in Washington, said that the USFDA requires all food labels to disclose the amount of trans fat contained in any conventional food or some dietary supplement being sold in the US.

The new labeling requirement is a way of promoting healthy eating habits.

The USFDA final rule on trans fatty acids or trans fat requires that the amount of trans fat in a serving be listed on a separate line under saturated fat on the Nutrition Facts panel.

However, trans fat does not have to be listed if the total fat in the food is less than 0.5 grams per serving and no claims are made about fat, fatty acids or cholesterol content.

If it is not listed, a footnote will be added stating that the food is "not a significant source of trans fat."

Information on food labels about the amount of trans fat in foods will enable consumers to select food with lower levels of trans fat and thereby lower their intake of trans fat as part of a healthy diet.

The USFDA estimates that three years after the effective date of implementation, trans fat labeling would prevent 600 to 1,200 cases of coronary heart disease and 250 to 500 deaths each year.

The USFDA rule is applicable when dealing with conventional food.

In the case of dietary supplements, the trans fat must also be listed, but on the Supplement Facts panel when their products contain reportable amounts (0.5 grams) of trans fat.

Example of dietary supplements with trans fat are energy and nutrition bars.

The USFDA defines trans fat as all unsaturated fatty acids that contain one or more isolated double bonds in a trans configuration.

Under the USFDA’s definition, conjugated linoleic acid would be excluded from the definition of trans fat.

Trans fat can be found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candles, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed food made with or fried in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

A possible addition to the current final rule on trans fat is a regulation now being considered regarding the matter of making nutrient content claims for trans fat.

These would be statements made on the food label package that indicate a range of the amount of a specific nutrient that is contained in the product.

Trans fat is a specific type of fat, which is formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats such as shortening and hard margarine. A small amount of trans fat is naturally found in some animal based foods.

Trans fat behaves like saturated fat by raising low-density lipoprotein (LDL or bad) cholesterol that increases the risk of coronary heart disease.

Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil (a process called hydrogenation). Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods.

Philippine exports of food and food preparations amounted to $1.579 billion in 2004.

The US is the country’s top market with $350 million or 22.2 percent of total food exports, followed by the European Union with 8.94 percent, and the Middle East with 5.38 percent.