Over the next three years, food manufacturers must remove the primary source of artificial trans fat–partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs)–from their products.
Trans fat can be found in an estimated 37% of grocery-store foods, such as frozen pizza and microwave popcorn.
It is typically used to add texture and give foods an extended shelf life.
But research shows it can lead to heart problems and even Type 2 diabetes.
It may also be unnecessary: companies have started exploring healthier fat alternatives, like vegetable oil and butter, and the FDA’s three-year deadline gives them ample time to experiment.
–Alexandra Sifferlin
This appears in the June 29, 2015 issue of TIME.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Essay: The Tyre Nichols Videos Demand Solemnity, Not Sensationalism
- For People With Disabilities, Losing Abortion Access Can Be a Matter of Life or Death
- Inside the Stealth Efforts to Smuggle Starlink Internet Into Iran
- Natasha Lyonne on Poker Face and Creating Characters Who Subvert Leading-Lady Tropes
- How to Help the Victims and Community After the Monterey Park Shooting
- Why Grocery Staples Are So Expensive Right Now
- Quantum Computers Could Solve Countless Problems—and Create a Lot of New Ones
- Where to Watch All of the 2023 Oscar Nominees
- How to Be Mindful if You Hate Meditating