Baylen Linnekin: Don't Ban Trans Fats
It's a bad idea.
Any day now, the FDA is expected to issue a rule that will effectively ban the use of manmade, trans-fat-containing partially hydrogenated oils in all foods.
Most experts agree trans fats aren't good for you. The American Heart Association, for example, recommends eating no more than 2 grams per day.
There's some question about the difference between the manmade variety—those trans fats in partially hydrogenated oils—and those trans fats that occur naturally in beef and dairy.
In any case, the FDA claims the ban could save around 7,000 lives per year. The agency has required food manufacturers to list the trans fat content of packaged foods since 2006. That's helped reduce the amount of trans fats in the average American's diet from far above to well below the American Heart Association recommendations.
So if Americans are already eating less trans fats than health experts recommend, why the push to ban them?
