The petty tyranny of the FDA’s coming trans fat ban

Don’t count on donuts, frozen pizza, coffee creamers, or canned cinnamon rolls to go on tasting the same — and don’t count on the federal government to respect your choices in the matter [Peter Suderman, earlier] And of course it was public health advocates and the federal government who helped push foodmakers into the use of trans fats in the first place. Some choices do remain to you in the realm of food, so say yes to Mark Bittman’s red lentil dal, no to his politics [Julie Kelly and Jeff Stier, Forbes]

5 Comments

  • Isn’t it about twenty years since a lot of laws where passed to get rid of evil cholesterol and replace them with trans fats? I remember doughnuts took a hufg hit in taste about then.

    I tried googling the date, but couldn’t find it on the first couple of screens and gave up. However, the second item was an out of date page from the FDA noting that trans fats are now listed with cholesterol — which seems odd, since we’re now told that some forms of cholesterol are hunky dory.

    Bob

  • “The petty tyranny of the FDA’s coming trans fat ban”

    There is nothing petty about it.

  • Another case study in how regulatory nudges suddenly turn to shoves. The FDA mandated trans fat labeling in 2006. http://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/labelingnutrition/ucm274590.htm

    As the FDA stated, by virtue of its labeling requirement, “consumers now know for the first time how much of all three — saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol — are in the foods they choose” which “gives consumers information to make heart-healthy food choices.” How trite, those references to choice! The FDA used mere labeling and education to nudge us towards the fats we should eat, but when we didn’t listen, the heavy hand of coercion was not far behind.

    Cass Sunstein, call your office.

  • Back to suet and lard!!