There is a lot of health news right now in the snack food and bakery industries. With the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issuing its long-expected draft regulation to practically eliminating trans-fat in food to its draft guidance to help growers, manufacturers and foodservice operators take steps to reduce levels of acrylamide in certain foods and so many other health issues, we find this month that our pages are filled with health issues.
One example is in our Ingredient Technology feature on fats and oils, a subject abuzz with hot issues today. Trans-fats have long been criticized by nutritionists, and the state of New York and other local governments have banned them. They are generally considered the worst kind of fats for the body’s heart—even worse than saturated fats, which can also contribute to heart disease. The FDA’s 60-day comment period on this preliminary determination to collect additional data has been applauded by medical professionals, who say it’s a good step toward eliminating the remaining amount of trans-fats that continue to pose heart diseases risks for many people. We uncover new formulations that are designed to be easy to use and taste good, but have better-for-you benefits. We also find the challenges involved in producing baked goods and snacks with different oils and fats.