Consuming trans fats simultaneously increases “bad” LDL cholesterol and drives down “good” HDL cholesterol in a person’s bloodstream. The FDA has estimated that removing partially hydrogenated oils from food could prevent as many as 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths from heart disease every year.
Partially hydrogenated oils are created by pumping hydrogen into vegetable oil to make it more solid, and are used to improve the texture, shelf life and long-term flavor of processed foods, according to the FDA.
Partially hydrogenated oils are most often found in processed foods such as baked goods like cakes, cookies and pies; non-dairy creamers; microwave popcorn; frozen pizza; margarine and other spreads; vegetable shortenings; and refrigerated dough products like biscuits and cinnamon rolls.
Companies have until June 18, 2018, to either reformulate their products and remove all partially hydrogenated oils, or petition the FDA to permit specific uses of the oils, the agency said Tuesday.