In agriculture, gene editing is being used in plants and animals to reduce disease and the impact of pests. Read more about the science of gene editing.

In the United States, we rely on a network of government agencies to ensure the safety of all food, including food produced using advanced breeding techniques like gene editing.

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates food made from plants and animals developed using gene editing. All foods regulated by the FDA that are produced, processed, stored, shipped or sold in the United States are held to the same safety standards.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the safety of gene editing in plants.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes sure gene-edited organisms do not pose risks to human health or the environment.

For example, before gene-edited livestock used in food production can be sold in the U.S., the developer is required to complete FDA’s safety review process. This process includes submitting years of research and trial data to prove the application is both safe and effective. In 2022, FDA ruled that the first slick-haired cattle that were gene-edited to better tolerate heat are “low risk and do not raise any safety concerns.”

We reached out to three experts to get their insights on this new technology that has the potential to significantly improve our food system. Dr. Jennifer Kuzma is the Goodnight-NC GSK Foundation Distinguished Professor in Social Sciences at North Carolina State University and co-founder and co-director of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center; Dr. Zhongde Wang is a Professor in the Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences at Utah State University and Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou is the Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University.

How is gene editing being used in food and agriculture?

Dr. Kuzma: “Most of the gene editing work taking place now involves making food healthier or more sustainable. Gene edits have been made for yield enhancements, increasing nutrients in plants, improving taste and heat and cold tolerance and disease resistance for plants and animals.”

Dr. Wang: “In livestock, gene editing has been used to introduce single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among different breeds of a species to improve certain traits, such as heat tolerance, resistance to infectious disease, etc.”

Learn more about how gene editing is being used in food:

• Tomatoes with more Vitamin D
• Soybean oil without trans fats
• Cows with a slick coat to tolerate heat
• Better tasting mustard greens
  
• Progress toward disease-resistant pigs
• Removing allergens from wheat, peanuts and milk
• Developing more sustainable ingredients

What is the potential impact of gene editing technology?

Dr. Barrangou: “I think it’s a game changer. Think about the ability to recode the code of life of organisms from very simple basic viruses to microscopic bacteria all the way to sophisticated large organisms, like animals including livestock that we eat, plants, including crops that we consume, and of course, humans, for all the medical applications we can think of and even in environmental stewardship, things like trees and forestry. It’s a transformative, disruptive technology that allows humankind to recode the code of life.”

Because gene editing has so many uses, it is important that technology developers use the powerful tool safely and transparently. Learn what the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture is doing to build trust in gene editing.

Is it safe to eat gene-edited foods?

Dr. Wang: “With scientific vigor, regulatory oversights and approvals, it is safe to consume foods from gene-edited plants and animals. Any genetic changes, including any unintentional changes, and biological consequences need to be clearly validated. It is safe to say that, if a naturally existing trait from one animal is engineered into another in the same species, there should be no concern to consume the food from the edited animal.”

Dr. Barrangou: “90 to 95% of all the genome editing work is focusing on human therapeutics. There are hundreds of people who have been dosed with genome editing, medicines, therapies and therapeutics that enable us to correct ‘typos’ in human DNA that are responsible for terminal diseases. The FDA is confident enough to dose American citizens with CRISPR medicines because it is safe. I would argue that if it’s safe enough to put in our veins, it’s safe enough to put in our mouths.”

As gene-edited foods start to become available, what assurances can we have that they will be safe?

Dr. Kuzma: “The first thing is to keep in mind that companies do not want to offer a product that isn’t safe. Companies have their own internal checks to look for possible issues. The second thing is that there is a consultation process through the Food and Drug Administration. Companies submit data to FDA, which will look for different compositional changes in the product that might trigger a safety issue.”

To date, there are two gene-edited foods on the market — a purple tomato with increased antioxidants and soybean oil high in oleic acid. A new, better-tasting leafy green has also received USDA approval and will be introduced in the summer of 2023. There are hundreds more gene-edited foods in the development pipeline and they must all go through the stringent regulatory review and approval process before they can be sold in the U.S. Learn more about the specific regulations FDA has for plants and animals.

Gene editing is a technology that makes precise changes in the genome of an organism. A network of U.S. regulatory agencies provide oversight using a stringent review and approval process to make sure gene-edited foods are safe for people, animals and the environment.

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In a news release, the AAP notes that the U.S. allows the use of more than 10,000 additives to preserve, package, or modify the taste, appearance, texture, or nutrients in foods. Many were grandfathered in for approval during the 1950s, and around 1,000 additives are used under a GRAS designation process that doesn’t require U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

We went to a pair of our experts to learn more about the GRAS designation and how food additives are regulated. Dr. Carl Winter is a specialist in Cooperative Extension in Food Science and Technology at the University of California at Davis. Dr. James Hollis is an associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at Iowa State University.

Can you give us a general explanation of how the GRAS designation works? Is the process viable?

Dr. Winter: This GRAS classification basically grandfathers in historically-used food additives as approved food additives without the need for additional toxicological testing. It is a controversial classification but one that has nevertheless streamlined the regulation of food additives in the U.S.  In cases where additional toxicological information suggests an additive does not meet the GRAS criteria, the FDA is allowed to remove the GRAS classification. The burden for doing toxicological testing rests with others outside of the food additive manufacturer, however.

 Dr. Hollis: Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic act, any food that is intentionally added to a food is viewed as a food additive. Food additives are required to undergo review and approval by the FDA before it is marketed. However, if a food additive can be shown to be safe under the conditions of intended use, to the satisfaction of a panel of experts, it is deemed generally recognized as safe (GRAS).   

The AAP says the additives of most concern are bisphenols, phthalates, perfluoroalkyl chemicals, perchlorates, artificial food colors, and nitrates and nitrites. What’s the concern here?

Dr. Winter: As is the case with all chemicals in food, the key component is how much are consumers exposed and whether this level of exposure provides a sufficient buffer of safety. All of the above chemicals listed above obey the basic principle of toxicology, meaning that all can display toxicological effects at a high enough dose. This, by itself, is not justification for consumers to avoid foods containing such chemicals.

Dr. Hollis: While all chemicals are potentially toxic, it all depends on the dose. The level of exposure to food additives under normal use is highly unlikely to reach levels where toxicological effects appear. However, data exist that link several food additives with increased risk of chronic disease. For instance, nitrites and nitrates are food additives used to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria in processed meats. Studies have shown a modest association between dietary nitrite/nitrate and certain cancers. Other studies report that dietary nitrate is associated with reducing blood pressure and may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. It is important to note that these studies only show an “association” between dietary nitrate/nitrite with these diseases and do not demonstrate that they are the causal factor in this relationship. At present, the data is imperfect, inconclusive and it is not possible to draw strong conclusions.

What’s your advice to parents who read about this policy statement? Are there steps they can take to play it safe?

Dr. Winter: The best thing parents can do is to make sure their children consume a healthy and balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The theoretical risks posed by GRAS food additives pale in comparison to the health benefits of eating a good diet. There are mechanisms in place to revoke GRAS status if sufficient evidence warrants such an action.

Dr. Hollis: Consuming a diet that meets dietary guidelines and includes a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is key to good health. There are still some unanswered questions in this area but I don’t think parents should be unduly alarmed.

Food additives are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Typical levels of exposure are not likely to affect health. For children, eating a balanced diet with lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains is the best way to be healthy.

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What’s this issue all about? We went to Dr. Carl Winter of the University of California at Davis for some answers.

What is the health risk associated with acrylamide?

Dr. Winter: Exposure to high levels of acrylamide in animal toxicology studies has resulted in cancer. Typical human dietary exposure to acrylamide is at dramatically lower levels, but due to uncertainty in predicting health risks and in an effort to be protective, consumers have been advised to reduce their dietary exposure to acrylamide when it is convenient to do so.

French fries are mentioned prominently when this issue comes up … are there other foods to keep in mind?

Dr. Winter: Foods like potatoes that contain sugars (carbohydrates) and the amino acid asparagine that are heated, often from frying, have the greatest potential to produce acrylamide. In addition to potato-containing foods, much of our dietary exposure to acrylamide comes from cereal-based foods such as breads, bagels, and breakfast cereals, as well as from coffee and coffee products.

What’s the best way to reduce acrylamide in food?

Dr. Winter: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided guidance to food producers, manufacturers, and processors on ways that acrylamide can be reduced in foods. This document can be obtained here . The guidance discusses many approaches including varietal choices, post-harvest treatments, and cooking practices.

Is this a new concern? Has something happened to prompt the current attention on this issue?

Dr. Winter: Although acrylamide has probably been in our foods since humans began using heat for food preparation, its presence in food was not discovered until 2002. Current concern regarding acrylamide in food has resulted from an increased awareness of its presence in food and from current research identifying how it is formed in food and how its formation can be reduced.

What are your thoughts on the differing approaches to cut down on acrylamide – voluntary guidance as opposed to regulation?

Dr. Winter: Since regulators have yet to determine what levels (if any) of acrylamide exceed “acceptable risk” levels, I believe that voluntary guidance to reduce acrylamide levels is the most prudent option at this time.

What’s your advice to people who are concerned about acrylamide in their food?

Dr. Winter: Consumers should eat a balanced diet including ample quantities of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Consuming foods containing acrylamide is perfectly acceptable provided that one’s diet offers considerable variety.

Acrylamide naturally occurs when foods with a concentration of carbohydrates are good at a high temperature, such as frying or baking. Consumers are encouraged to monitor their intake of acrylamide. Most people’s diets are within the level considered safe.

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The post made the statement that TBHQ is highly toxic and made from butane, a toxic gas used in lighter fluid. To find out the facts, we turned to one of our experts, Dr. Sean O’Keefe, a food science professor at Virginia Tech.

What is TBHQ?

Dr. O’Keefe explained it is a synthetic antioxidant that is added to foods to prevent or delay oxidation. Oxidation causes food to lose flavor quality, color and can even cause foods to become toxic. In addition, oxidation causes vitamins to break down, causing food to lose some of its nutritional value.

TBHQ, which stands for tertiary butylhydroquinone, is commonly used in foods such as crackers, microwave popcorn, butter and chicken nuggets. Dr. O’Keefe explains, “It is not made from butane, it does not contain butane but it does contain a tertiary butyl group.”

Science Blogs and Livestrong offer more insight into the chemical makeup of TBHQ and the mistaken connection to butane.

Is TBHQ toxic?

“When discussing toxicity, you need to look at the dose. Ethanol (which is found in alcoholic drinks) is toxic at high levels and can easily kill you by depressing respiration, but a glass of wine or two helps with relaxation,” Dr. O’Keefe said.

He went on to explain that research has shown that at high doses, TBHQ has been reported to have negative effects, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the amount of TBHQ that can be added to foods. He emphasized that the amount consumed in foods is well within the range determined to be safe by regulators. “Studies that show toxicity at very high levels are irrelevant and just obfuscate the safety issues with food additives. The FDA allows use of TBHQ at 200 ppm in the fat of many foods and it improves quality by delaying oxidation.”

TBHQ is banned in some countries, so is it dangerous?

“Different ingredients are approved in different countries, so the fact that some countries allow TBHQ and others don’t is not something I worry about. Canada allows cyclamates as artificial sweeteners but bans saccharine. The United States allows saccharine but bans cyclamates. This is nothing I worry about,” Dr. O’Keefe said.

A scientist at Michigan State University is researching a possible link between TBHQ and food allergies. “More studies are needed to see if there is a link in humans,” Dr. O’Keefe said.

TBHQ is new to most of us, but it has been used in common foods for decades and helps preserve the quality, safety and nutritional values of many foods we safely enjoy.

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On June 28, the FDA published a consumer update warning against consuming raw dough, but not for the reason you may think. While the risk of salmonella from eggs exists, the risk of E. coli from flour is the reason for the FDA’s warning. It’s not very often that flour is the culprit of a food recall, and many raw flour products are generally viewed as safe.

So what’s a baker to do? On top of not consuming raw dough, the FDA advises that those working with raw flour keep work surfaces and utensils clean after contact with raw dough, as well as keeping raw dough away from other foods because flour can travel easily. Here are five tips to help keep you safe while baking:

1. Wash your hands often and use clean towels
2. Keep your countertops clean
3. Don’t leave eggs out for more than two hours
4. Don’t eat raw cookie dough
5. Keep flour in a food-safe container

Now that your raw cookie dough-eating days are over, you may be wondering what this news means for no-bake treats with raw flour. Keep your apron on, because we’ve got the answer!

Dr. Londa Nwadike, assistant professor and extension food safety specialist at Kansas State University and the University of Missouri, warns that no-bake treats are not an exception. “Any raw flour, regardless of the brand, could potentially contain pathogens,” explains Dr. Nwadike. “This was true in the past and is still true today, but this recent outbreak has helped to remind us that anything with flour in it that has not been baked could potentially make people sick.”

Ready-to-bake store-bought cookie dough is also at risk. “That dough was not intended to be consumed raw, so it should be cooked for safety,” Dr. Nwadike says. “When will the madness end?,” you’re probably asking yourself right about now. According to Dr. Nwadike, products that contain cookie dough in a ready-to-eat state, like cookie dough ice cream, have been heat-treated before being sold and are therefore safe to consume. Score one for the bakers!

While there’s always a risk when consuming raw dough, kids under the age of five, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection. “Kids are generally more susceptible to foodborne illness as their immune systems aren’t as developed,” explains Dr. Nwadike. “They may be more likely to put their hands in their mouth after touching raw flour.”

As much as you may enjoy eating raw cookie dough, you should avoid the temptation and practice some patience to prevent potential foodborne illness. This infographic outlines tips for baking safety:

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 Current Nutrition Facts Label                     New Nutrition Facts Label

According to the FDA, the new label changes include:

• Larger and bolder calorie typeface.
• “Added sugars” listed in grams and as percent Daily Value. Scientific data shows that it is difficult to meet nutrient needs while staying within calorie limits if you consume more than 10 percent of your total daily calories from added sugar, and this is consistent with the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• Updated serving sizes to more closely reflect the amount of food people actually eat. How much people eat and drink has changed since the previous serving size requirements were published over 20 years ago. For example, the reference amount used to set a serving of ice cream was previously ½ cup but is changing to ⅔ cup.
• The removal of “Calories from Fat” because research shows the tupe of fat is more important than the amount. “Total Fat,” “Saturated Fat,” and “Trans Fat” will be still be required on the label.
• Updated daily values for nutrients like sodium, dietary fiber and vitamin D based on newer scientific evidence from the Institute of Medicine and other reports such as the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report.
• Updated list of nutrients that are required or permitted to be declared. Vitamin D and potassium will be required on the label, calcium and iron will continue to be required and vitamins A and C will no longer be required but can be included on a voluntary basis.

Connie Diekman, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD, Director of University Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis, who also serves on the Facts Up Front advisory panel, provided her thoughts on the proposed changes:

Connie Diekman, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD (On February 27, 2014):

The proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts Panel will hopefully make it easier for people to see what they are consuming. Making a shift to actual serving size, not the “industry standard” will make nutrition information more usable. The proposal to add ‘added sugars’ will allow people to see how much natural sugar many foods contain so they can weigh pros and cons, deciding which is the best choice. These changes are just one part in the battle of lowering obesity rates, but if grocery shopping is easier, consumers might, in fact, begin to change eating behaviors. Another easy shopping tool is using the Facts Up Front nutrient flags. The front of package flags quickly allow consumers to see key nutrients, making shopping easier.

Understanding nutrients in foods can help you use the Nutrition Facts Label more effectively, and help you make choices that best suit your personal diet and health needs.

Manufacturers will need to use the new label by July 26, 2018. However, manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have an additional year to comply.

_{The image “Nutrition Facts – Scrabble Letters” by Food Facts pm is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.} 

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Last year, registered dietitian Connie Diekman offered her thoughts on arsenic in apple juice. We’ve been hearing about arsenic in rice and rice products and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently updated its consumer recommendations regarding arsenic in rice cereal. Should you be concerned about eating rice or feeding rice products to your kids? To answer a few questions about this topic, Best Food Facts reached out to Dr. Brian P. Jackson, Director of Trace Metal Analysis at Dartmouth College. Check out his “True or not?” conclusion at the bottom of the post!

What is arsenic? What’s the difference between organic and inorganic arsenic?

Dr. Jackson:

“Arsenic is a naturally occurring element; it ranks 46^th in abundance in the earth’s crust and is found at low levels in soils and water. Inorganic arsenic is the form of arsenic that occurs geologically in rocks and is the main form we find in soils and water. Inorganic arsenic is toxic to most forms of life at certain concentration levels; for humans, it is a class 1 carcinogen and has also been linked to a number of non-cancer diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

Organic arsenic refers to a range of different compounds, all of which contain an arsenic atom bonded to at least one carbon atom. In general, organic arsenic compounds are less toxic than inorganic arsenic. Organic arsenic compounds can occur naturally, for example, as metabolic products of bacteria or algae, or they can be man-made.”

What food and drinks contain arsenic? How does arsenic get in our food and drinks?

Dr. Jackson:

“The tools we use today are so sensitive that nearly all food and drink products will contain some measurable arsenic. Arsenic gets into food mainly through natural processes where plants take up arsenic from the soil. This could be arsenic that is naturally in the soil, derived from the rock that weathered to form the soil, or it could have been introduced by agricultural practices that are no longer used.

“In the past, inorganic arsenic was used as a pesticide, especially on orchards. That practice was largely discontinued in the 1950s; however, we are still left with ‘legacy’ arsenic that contaminates many old orchard soils. Similarly, organic arsenic compounds were used to control weeds, especially in cotton production and on golf courses. The use of these compounds has recently been discontinued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“A different organic arsenic compound, roxarsone, was used as a feed additive for poultry, turkey and swine. This raised concerns about levels of arsenic in chicken meat and also arsenic getting into soil through use of the manure as fertilizer, so, consequently, in 2011 roxarsone was withdrawn from use as a feed additive.

“Fruit juices have been implicated as potentially having high concentrations of arsenic relative to the drinking water standard of 10 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic. One general hypothesis about why fruit juices could contain arsenic is that these juices are imported from countries where organic arsenic pesticides are still used. The FDA tests many juices and concentrates and has established an internal criteria of 23 ppb inorganic arsenic for juice, although the reason for this concentration limit is not clear. Consumer Reports urges a much more stringent level of 3 ppb; their 2011 study of 88 apple and grape juices found that 10 percent exceeded the 10 ppb (the safe drinking water limit) for total arsenic.”

Why is arsenic showing up in rice?

Dr. Jackson:

“The levels of arsenic in rice and rice products have also attracted a lot of attention. Compared to other grains, rice takes up, or absorbs, a lot more arsenic, and this arsenic ends up in the edible part of the plant. The unique flooded conditions under which rice is grown is the main reason that rice contains arsenic. In flooded soil, the arsenic is no longer strongly bound soil particles, but instead is present in the soil water and readily taken up by the plant. There’s now a lot of information on what factors control the concentration of arsenic in the grain. The most important factor is the type of rice, but other factors such as growing conditions, geography and soil type also have an influence.”

FDA Update:

In 2013, the FDA released test data for the levels of inorganic arsenic in most types of rice and rice-based foods and beverages consumed in the United States. That testing was expanded on infant rice cereal because, relative to body weight, infants consume about three times more rice than adults, primarily through infant rice cereal. In fact, data show that people consume the most rice, relative to their weight, at eight months of age primarily because rice cereal is commonly the centerpiece of an infant’s diet.

Are there any potential health effects to consuming foods that may contain arsenic?

FDA Update:

It has long been known that arsenic is a carcinogen. The FDA estimates that exposure to inorganic arsenic in rice and rice products causes an additional four cases of lung and bladder cancer over the lifetime for every 100,000 people in the United States. This estimate accounts for far less than one percent of the nation’s lung and bladder cancer causes.

More recently, concerns have been raised about potential developmental effects on infants as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes. The FDA completed a thorough analysis of scientific studies linking adverse pregnancy outcomes to intake of relatively high levels of inorganic arsenic during pregnancy. The FDA also found that exposure may result in a child’s decreased performance on certain developmental tests that measure learning.

What is a safe level of arsenic?

Dr. Jackson:

“There is no consensus on what is the ‘safe’ level. In Proposition 65, California has set a level of 10 micrograms of inorganic arsenic for daily exposure that would cause no significant risk levels over a lifetime of exposure. The EPA has set a limit of 0.0003 mg/kg body weight per day, which, for a 132-pound adult, would equate to a daily exposure limit of 18 micrograms. 

“So, from one standpoint even daily single servings of most rice or rice products would not exceed these relatively conservative daily ‘safe’ levels. However, one needs to factor in arsenic exposure from other food sources and, most importantly, from drinking water, to fully estimate an individual’s daily inorganic arsenic exposure. For example, you might be on city water with an arsenic concentration of 5 ppb, and if you drink two liters per day then you are already exposed to 10 micrograms of inorganic arsenic. This doesn’t leave much room for significant exposure through food as well. However, there are other factors to consider for exposure via food; for example, not all of the arsenic in the food might be absorbed by the body. There are various studies reporting 50 – 100 percent absorption ability depending on the rice type and method of cooking.”

FDA Update:

The FDA is issuing a draft guidance to industry proposing a limit, or “action level,” of 100 parts per billion inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. FDA testing found that the majority of infant rice cereal currently on the market either meets, or is close to, the proposed action level. This is not the first time the federal government has limited arsenic in foods or beverages. The EPA has set a limit for inorganic arsenic in drinking water, and the FDA has already set action levels, or recommended limits, for bottled water and apple juice.

How can you tell if food or drink contains arsenic? If I’m concerned about arsenic levels, should I eat local or organic food?

Dr. Jackson:

“There is really no way for the consumer to tell if a food contains arsenic, and I don’t think that eating local or organic necessarily affords much protection, either. We are not talking about very high levels here, but rather long-term low level exposure.

“While we are still not sure about the extent of the problem of arsenic exposure from rice, the solution seems quite easy. We already know a lot about the levels of inorganic arsenic in rice, and which types of rice absorb less arsenic and are relatively insensitive to other growing conditions, so manufacturers can source rice that is low in arsenic and growers can switch to types that take up less arsenic. Sourcing rice that is low in arsenic for products aimed at young kids or for the gluten-free market, where many products are rice-based, would seem like a prudent and proactive thing to do, even while we wait for the FDA to set some guidelines and regulations.

“For other concerns about arsenic and what to avoid, I advise concerned parents to consult with their child’s pediatrician.”

Should consumers be concerned about arsenic levels in food and drinks?

Dr. Jackson:

“Consumers eating a balanced and varied diet don’t need to be too concerned about exposure to arsenic through food. However, for young kids, especially infants and toddlers, who are potentially more sensitive to contaminant exposure, and for people who eat frequent (daily) servings of rice and rice products, then some concern is warranted.”

FDA Update:

If you have an infant or are pregnant, the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend:

• Feed your baby iron-fortified cereals to be sure he or she is receiving enough of this important nutrient.
• Rice cereal fortified with iron is a good source of nutrients for your baby, but it shouldn’t be the only source, and does not need to be the first source. Other fortified infant cereals include oats, barley and multigrain.
• For toddlers, provide a well-balanced diet, which includes a variety of grains.

Based on the FDA’s findings, it would be prudent for pregnant women to consume a variety of foods, including varied grains (wheat, oats and barley), for good nutrition. Also, published studies and new research by the FDA indicate that cooking rice in excess water (from six to 10 parts water to one part rice) and draining the excess water can reduce 40 to 60 percent of the inorganic arsenic content, depending on the type of rice. The FDA did not find a scientific or public health basis to recommend that the general population of consumers change its rice consumption based on the presence of arsenic.

Consumers can certainly eat rice as part of a well-balanced diet. Based on its scientific assessment, the FDA says it would be prudent for parents and caretakers to feed their infants a variety of fortified infant cereals rather than to rely solely on infant rice cereal.

_{The image “Rice!” by Simone Bosotti is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.}

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Who?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of drugs, medical devices, vaccines, food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation and tobacco products.

What?

The FDA has finalized its determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial trans fats in processed foods, are not “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS. Companies will have three years to remove artificial trans fats from their products. They may petition the FDA for a food additive permit (FAP) to use trans fats and the agency will assess whether there is a “reasonable certainty of no harm” associated with the uses defined in the petition.

When?

Food companies will have three years to remove artificial trans fats from their products. This will allow companies to either reformulate products or submit a petition to the FDA to permit specific uses of PHOs. Following the compliance period, no trans fats can be added to human food unless they are otherwise approved by the FDA.

Why?

The FDA has ruled that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS. This decision comes from extensive research into the effects of PHOs and input from numerous influential stakeholders.

In 2009, a heart disease researcher filed a petition with the FDA to request a ban on trans fats in the food industry. In 2013, the agency made a tentative ruling that trans fats were no longer safe based on years of public comment and scientific review. The FDA Commissioner at the time, Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, stated, “The FDA’s action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat. Further reduction in the amount of trans fat in the American diet could prevent an additional 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year – a critical step in the protection of Americans’ health.”

The agency estimates that between 2003 and 2012, consumer trans fat consumption decreased by about 78 percent. Likely key factors in this decline are the 2006 trans fat mandatory labeling and industry reformulation of foods. Yet, while numbers are at an all-time low, the Institute of Medicine and Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommend that consumption of trans fat be a very small part of a nutritionally-balanced diet. Research has continued to show that eating a diet rich in trans fat is linked to heart disease and memory loss.

What’s Next?

Because food companies will have three years to implement this change, the current labeling standards will remain. Presently, foods are allowed to be labeled as having “0” grams trans fat if they contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. For now, the FDA is advising consumers to look at the ingredients list on packaged foods to make sure they don’t contain partially hydrogenated oils.

It is important to note that there will still be some trans fats in the food supply from those that occur naturally in meat and dairy products. These amounts will not be targeted because the small amount isn’t considered a major public health threat by itself.

Other Questions About this Decision

What will companies use instead?

Food scientists have been working hard to find out how to substitute other fats in many different items. One type of substitution that has shown promise is high-oleic oils. These oils are stable and do not need hydrogenation, thus eliminating trans fats in the resulting product. It will allow food companies to eliminate trans fats and to lower saturated fat content in food without sacrificing flavor.

Will I notice this change in the foods I consume?

From a taste perspective, probably not. PHOs do not have particular flavor and scientists have been working to make substitutions that don’t compromise the taste, texture and shelf life of the food.

Image: “forty ninth parallel” by Kenny Louie is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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