Obama Administration cracks down on trans fats

The Obama administration is ordering food companies to phase out the use of trans fats over the next three years, calling them a threat to public health.
Scientists say there are no health benefits to the fats, which are used in processed foods, usually to improve texture, shelf life or flavor. They can raise levels of “bad” cholesterol and lower “good” cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
For the past decade, many in the soybean industry has been working on solutions to meet food-customer needs, according to a statement from the United Soybean Board.
“The FDA’s recent announcement to phase out partially hydrogenated vegetable oils did not come as a shock to soybean farmers,” the board said, which has been working on two replacement options for partially hydrogenated soybean oil.
“The soy industry estimates that 2 billion pounds of partially hydrogenated soybean oil are used in food today,” said Jimmy Sneed, a soybean farmer from Hernando, Miss., and USB farmer-leader. “We’re excited to bring solutions like high oleic and interesterified soybean oil to the market and ready to shift the discussion to innovation.”
High-oleic soybeans produce an oil that food companies can use for stability without the need for partial hydrogenation. Farmers currently grow high-oleic soybeans in nine states, with more acreage added each year.
Some foods that commonly contain trans fats are pie crusts, microwave popcorn, coffee creamers and frozen pizza