Rebecca Madley-Wright07.01.04
FDA issued its ruling on trans fats labeling last year, and next to the low-carb trend, it is predicted to be the next biggest thing on consumers' minds. In fact, according to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Chicago, IL, more than 50% of consumers across all demographic groups are aware of trans fats (trans fatty acids or hydrogenated oils). Likely growing consumer awareness are the major ad/education campaigns launched by companies, such as Frito-Lay, Plano, TX, which speak to the trans fats issue. These companies either have already made the necessary changes, or have at least vowed to adjust the content of trans fats in their products in the near future.
FDA's ruling requires manufactures to disclose the amount of trans fats in product labeling (via the Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts panel) by January 1, 2006. While many companies feel this leaves ample time to adjust to the new labeling rules, turning this "Titanic" around involves more than most would expect.
According to The Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils (ISEO), Washington, D.C., trans fats are principally formed when vegetable oils are processed to make them more solid or stable. This process is referred to as hydrogenation and is performed to increase the quality of many foods. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils protect against rancidity, thus preserving freshness and extending the shelf life of foods containing them. Hydrogenation is also used to convert liquid oil into solid form providing the attributes of texture and eating quality desired by consumers in fried, baked or processed foods.
Although small amounts of trans fats occur in beef and dairy products, FDA estimates that 80% of trans fats in Americans' diets comes from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
ISEO says trans fats became popular in the 1960s and 1970s as substitutes for animal fats because they were able to contribute the same desirable characteristics in foods, but without providing dietary cholesterol and relatively high levels of saturated fat. Later, ISEO said, partially hydrogenated oils were also used to replace certain highly saturated vegetable oils when saturated fat came under fire for its negative health implications. Over the last 25 years, however, the health effects of trans fats have also been called into question. Throughout the 1990s FDA compiled its own data on trans fats and their impact on health, prompting it to issue a proposed rule in 1999.
So how did the FDA get to its 2003 ruling? Willie Loh, market development manager-Specialty Canola Oils, Cargill, Minneapolis, MN, said as early at 10 years ago, FDA began to consider whether or not to include trans fats on the nutrition label. "The initial petition to FDA asked that trans fats be included on the label. At that time, however, FDA felt it necessary to compile its own U.S. data. In the meantime, it decided to go ahead and list total fat and saturated fat on the nutrition label as part of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA). It has taken almost 10 years for FDA to compile its own data and issue a ruling mandating the labeling of trans fats."
The bulk of the research on trans fats indicated that they raised total blood cholesterol levels, increased LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lowered HDL ("good") cholesterol. In fact, it was claimed 1 gram per day of trans fat could increase the risk of CHD by up to 20%, and on a one-to-one basis was considered worse than saturated fat in increasing the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). While trans fats have also been indicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease and cancer, those links have not yet been fully proven.
Although companies were aware that the trans fats ruling was imminent, they were not necessarily prepared, according to Terese O'Neill, business director-Benefat®, Danisco USA, New Century, KS. "When the ruling finally did come down, it wasn't a total surprise," she said. "However, in general, companies were not ready to move. While they knew it was going to happen, I wouldn't say that most companies had solutions in their pockets."
From a public health standpoint, FDA predicts that three years after the rule is implemented, trans fat labeling will prevent 600-1200 heart attacks per year and save between 250-500 lives. This benefit, FDA said, will also result in annual cost savings of $900 million to $1.8 billion in medical costs, lost productivity and pain and suffering.
To meet these goals, there is a range of options available for companies looking to reformulate. According to Kerry Americas, Beloit, WI, these include: blending fully hydrogenated hard fats having no trans fat with un-hydrogenated oils; using inter-esterification (molecular rearrangement) of un-hydrogenated oils with high saturated fat base oils; using more stable vegetable oils derived through traditional plant breeding or biotechnological methods; using gelling or texture building agents; increasing the use of antioxidants to increase oil stability; blending more stable vegetable oils with partially hydrogenated fats to lower trans fat while keeping saturates low; or a combination of some or all of these approaches.
The variety of options available speaks to the complexity of replacing or reducing trans fats. Kerry believes that replacements for trans fat must be able to provide at least the same functional characteristics of the materials they replace (i.e., texture of baked goods, pie crust flakiness, mouthfeel, etc.). Additionally, the introduction of trans fat alternatives to major consumer markets requires their availability in large amounts. "To develop such a short supply in the short term would be virtually impossible," the company said. "A commitment by the food industry to use these oils would require at least two to four more years before adequate acreage of such oilseed crops could be available."
Bryan Tungland, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, Sensus America, Monmouth Junction, NJ, also touched on reformulation. "Formulating trans fat-free foods requires a systems approach. Inulin would fit in this category, along with other ingredients, such as guar gum, pectins and dietary fibers," he explained. "Dietary fibers in general are used because if you are replacing fats, gelatin, starches and inulin can be used along with some emulsifiers."
Mr. Tungland added, "To form a low-fat, trans fats-replaced spread or system for baking, you need a polymer like gelatin, or another protein, and a hydrocolloid like starch, guar gum, xanthan gum or pectin to form the structure. Then the structure is texture modified with a plasticizer like inulin, sorbitol or glycerin, or another oligosaccharide that attracts water to give plastic character and low viscosity control to the polymer."
The replacements, Mr. Tungland pointed out, could simultaneously fill a couple of niches in the same food system. In other words, a product could perhaps claim "trans fat free" and "low carb". The second health message could relate to what the specific dietary fibers do for health (i.e., improving calcium absorption, improving gut health, etc.).
Dennis Byron, vice president of crop development, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont, Johnston, IA, says his company is working to modify soybean and canola varieties to produce low linolenic acid content, so that hydrogenation is not required. For example, he said, "Soybean oil for some applications is partially hydrogenated because soybeans have a linolenic acid content of around 9%. However, Pioneer has developed soybean varieties that have a linolenic acid that is below 3%. This level is low enough so that hydrogenation is not required."
Interestingly, Mr. Byron says Pioneer has been working on this for over a decade. "We have been working on solutions to the trans fat issue since the early 1990s. We released our first soybean varieties with low linolenic acid content in 1995. At that time, we only had a few processors and food companies show an interest. As a result, the yield levels we had during the first release of those varieties were not as high as what our farmer customers were expecting, so that required us to offer a price premium to the growers to grow those products. In the end, the increased cost was passed along to the processors and ultimately the food companies," he explained. "This was a higher priced oil that the industry was not too keen on dealing with at that time, but with demand for trans fats alternatives picking up, the situation will change."
From reformulation to cost to processing changes to packaging changes, it appears the industry has a lot of work to do. "There are no simple solutions," said Cargill's Mr. Loh. "Taking the trans fats out of products goes beyond reformulation. After the proposed reformulation, then companies have to go out and do extensive testing. If companies are successful, then the next challenge is adjusting the assembly or manufacturing line. Then a company has to consider the packaging requirements and the impact on serving size."
The major impact of this ruling falls on the brand leaders in the food industry, according to Mr. Loh. "Virtually all of the brand leaders are reformulating their products today. The amount of work required is just staggering," he said. "Even more astonishing is the work that has been completed since the mid-2003 ruling."
Danisco's Ms. O'Neill focused on the cost issues. She said while companies are moving forward, they are doing so very cautiously. "The cost issues can be significant and I honestly don't know the single solution that will be cheaper," she said. "Companies are being cautious due to this and also because they are not yet sure what consumers want."
Offering another view was Tom Tiffany, manager of food oils, technical service and research and development, ADM, Decatur, IL, who said although there may be cost associated with some of these changes, they should be tolerable. More important, however, is the fact that partial hydrogenation is getting a bad reputation. "Although there are some partially hydrogenated oils that are high in trans fats, there are others that contain lower amounts or no trans fats," he said, adding, "Unfortunately, consumers constantly hear about trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils, which is detrimental to some products. The consumer is being trained to focus on the words 'partially hydrogenated' and avoid it at all costs. However, if you read the Nutrition Facts panel it is more than likely that you could have less than half a gram or no trans fats at all in the product when partially hydrogenated oils are used."
Taking this into consideration, it's obvious that consumer education will be a necessary undertaking in the future. Although major efforts have been launched by the likes of Kraft Foods and Frito-Lay, many believe consumers remain confused about trans fats. K.J. Burrington, whey applications program coordinator, Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI, said, "I don't think consumers fully understand what trans fats are; all they know at the moment is that they are bad for you." Misinformation in the media and the public domain in general has been detrimental to organizations like DMI. Ms. Burrington explained, "There has been a lot of information disseminated by mainstream media that points to animal sources of fats as containing trans fats, so people are automatically going to look at dairy as containing trans fats. What most people don't realize is that the level of trans fats is really very low. In most cases, trans fats won't even show up on the labels of most dairy products."
Also causing concern is a recent petition submitted to FDA in May by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Washington, D.C., which calls for a "TransFreeAmerica". For CSPI, it is not a matter of how low companies go with respect to trans fats, it's about ridding the market of trans fats-producing products completely. Specifically, the organization asks FDA to prohibit the use of partially hydrogenated oil as a food ingredient. Its campaign for a TransFreeAmerica was created to encourage food manufacturers to reformulate their products. While CSPI acknowledged that some companies have made changes with regard to trans fat content in products, the organization feels it is not enough. Additionally, it claims the new labeling rules will not help consumers avoid trans fats in restaurant foods. The 37-page CSPI petition is calling for a ban on partially hydrogenated oils in foods because it believes 11,000-30,000 lives per year could be saved and an economic benefit of $1 trillion over 20 years could be realized.
Mr. Tiffany said whether or not we will see a trans-free America anytime soon is not clear. "I think we will probably see a little bit of both," he said. "There will be companies that completely eliminate trans fats and those that label accordingly and maintain the status quo."
In accordance with the proposed rules for trans fats labeling, packaged foods containing .5 mg or more of trans fats per serving will be required to list the amount of trans fats directly under the "saturated fat" content on the nutrition label by January 1, 2006. Here is where a problem occurs. Saturated fat has a "daily value" (DV), or percent/% DV, assigned to it, but that is not the case with trans fats, yet. The fact is, researchers have not pinned down what a reasonable amount of trans fats in the diet should be. As a result, a current debate rages on regarding whether or not to assign a "daily value" to trans fats. So far, the National Academy of Sciences has only said that keeping trans fats as low as possible is recommended in a nutritionally adequate diet.
Mr. Tungland of Sensus America believes the absence of a daily value for trans fats is a good thing. "There should almost be zero tolerance for trans fats. What I mean by that is, trans fats have such detrimental effects on health that they should be avoided," he said. "To establish a daily value for trans fats would only lead consumers to believe that some trans fats are acceptable. Consumers really need to know what they are consuming, which is what FDA is trying to sort out at the moment."
On the other hand, DMI's Ms. Burrington, believes that without a DV for trans fats, it will be hard for consumers to know how much they can handle in their diet. She said if FDA neglects to establish a daily value, maybe an organization like the American Heart Association (AHA) will come out with a recommended level of what to shoot for other than "zero" trans fats.
On both sides of the fence was Marty Anker, R&D manager-Specialty Lipids, Kerry Americas, who said while she understands the rationale for not providing a daily value for trans fats, she thinks the absence of one on the nutrition label is likely to cause confusion. "Daily values are put in place for components that the body needs to function, so the justification behind not providing a daily value for trans fats is understood. However, the absence of a daily value for trans fats may be confusing in consumers' minds when they inspect product labels. It is very possible that they will be wondering why there is no daily value for trans fats when there are daily values for everything else."
What the market can expect over the next couple of years as the low-carb trend gets even bigger and trans fats becomes even hotter, is a dual effort to tackle both of these trends with future products.
This is already happening, according to Dansico's Ms. O'Neill. "I have noticed a lot of companies that are working to formulate low-carb products and lower trans fats at the same time," she said. "Product developers are really multitasking to achieve the goals set forth by major consumer packaged goods companies and their marketing." She continued, "Changing packaging is extremely expensive, so I can understand from that viewpoint why those companies are interested in changing more than one thing at a time."
Kerry's Ms. Anker predicted that companies will start switching to zero trans fats and eventually that will become standard. "I think there is going to continue to be a huge push to remove trans fats from all retail products. As a result, I think the fats and oils companies must gear up now in order to supply these alternate sources for the industry to use," she said, adding, "I also think that consumer awareness is only going to grow as we get closer to the ruling."
Going forward, Cargill's Mr. Loh sees nutrition moving to the forefront of product development efforts. "The trans fats issue, among many others, has prompted huge changes in the food industry," he said. "Until now, the food industry has been driven by taste and convenience. However, I think that nutrition will emerge as a major driver in the future."NW
FDA's ruling requires manufactures to disclose the amount of trans fats in product labeling (via the Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts panel) by January 1, 2006. While many companies feel this leaves ample time to adjust to the new labeling rules, turning this "Titanic" around involves more than most would expect.
History of Trans Fats
According to The Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils (ISEO), Washington, D.C., trans fats are principally formed when vegetable oils are processed to make them more solid or stable. This process is referred to as hydrogenation and is performed to increase the quality of many foods. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils protect against rancidity, thus preserving freshness and extending the shelf life of foods containing them. Hydrogenation is also used to convert liquid oil into solid form providing the attributes of texture and eating quality desired by consumers in fried, baked or processed foods.
Although small amounts of trans fats occur in beef and dairy products, FDA estimates that 80% of trans fats in Americans' diets comes from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
ISEO says trans fats became popular in the 1960s and 1970s as substitutes for animal fats because they were able to contribute the same desirable characteristics in foods, but without providing dietary cholesterol and relatively high levels of saturated fat. Later, ISEO said, partially hydrogenated oils were also used to replace certain highly saturated vegetable oils when saturated fat came under fire for its negative health implications. Over the last 25 years, however, the health effects of trans fats have also been called into question. Throughout the 1990s FDA compiled its own data on trans fats and their impact on health, prompting it to issue a proposed rule in 1999.
So how did the FDA get to its 2003 ruling? Willie Loh, market development manager-Specialty Canola Oils, Cargill, Minneapolis, MN, said as early at 10 years ago, FDA began to consider whether or not to include trans fats on the nutrition label. "The initial petition to FDA asked that trans fats be included on the label. At that time, however, FDA felt it necessary to compile its own U.S. data. In the meantime, it decided to go ahead and list total fat and saturated fat on the nutrition label as part of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA). It has taken almost 10 years for FDA to compile its own data and issue a ruling mandating the labeling of trans fats."
The bulk of the research on trans fats indicated that they raised total blood cholesterol levels, increased LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lowered HDL ("good") cholesterol. In fact, it was claimed 1 gram per day of trans fat could increase the risk of CHD by up to 20%, and on a one-to-one basis was considered worse than saturated fat in increasing the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). While trans fats have also been indicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease and cancer, those links have not yet been fully proven.
Although companies were aware that the trans fats ruling was imminent, they were not necessarily prepared, according to Terese O'Neill, business director-Benefat®, Danisco USA, New Century, KS. "When the ruling finally did come down, it wasn't a total surprise," she said. "However, in general, companies were not ready to move. While they knew it was going to happen, I wouldn't say that most companies had solutions in their pockets."
What's Next?
From a public health standpoint, FDA predicts that three years after the rule is implemented, trans fat labeling will prevent 600-1200 heart attacks per year and save between 250-500 lives. This benefit, FDA said, will also result in annual cost savings of $900 million to $1.8 billion in medical costs, lost productivity and pain and suffering.
To meet these goals, there is a range of options available for companies looking to reformulate. According to Kerry Americas, Beloit, WI, these include: blending fully hydrogenated hard fats having no trans fat with un-hydrogenated oils; using inter-esterification (molecular rearrangement) of un-hydrogenated oils with high saturated fat base oils; using more stable vegetable oils derived through traditional plant breeding or biotechnological methods; using gelling or texture building agents; increasing the use of antioxidants to increase oil stability; blending more stable vegetable oils with partially hydrogenated fats to lower trans fat while keeping saturates low; or a combination of some or all of these approaches.
The variety of options available speaks to the complexity of replacing or reducing trans fats. Kerry believes that replacements for trans fat must be able to provide at least the same functional characteristics of the materials they replace (i.e., texture of baked goods, pie crust flakiness, mouthfeel, etc.). Additionally, the introduction of trans fat alternatives to major consumer markets requires their availability in large amounts. "To develop such a short supply in the short term would be virtually impossible," the company said. "A commitment by the food industry to use these oils would require at least two to four more years before adequate acreage of such oilseed crops could be available."
Bryan Tungland, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, Sensus America, Monmouth Junction, NJ, also touched on reformulation. "Formulating trans fat-free foods requires a systems approach. Inulin would fit in this category, along with other ingredients, such as guar gum, pectins and dietary fibers," he explained. "Dietary fibers in general are used because if you are replacing fats, gelatin, starches and inulin can be used along with some emulsifiers."
Mr. Tungland added, "To form a low-fat, trans fats-replaced spread or system for baking, you need a polymer like gelatin, or another protein, and a hydrocolloid like starch, guar gum, xanthan gum or pectin to form the structure. Then the structure is texture modified with a plasticizer like inulin, sorbitol or glycerin, or another oligosaccharide that attracts water to give plastic character and low viscosity control to the polymer."
The replacements, Mr. Tungland pointed out, could simultaneously fill a couple of niches in the same food system. In other words, a product could perhaps claim "trans fat free" and "low carb". The second health message could relate to what the specific dietary fibers do for health (i.e., improving calcium absorption, improving gut health, etc.).
Dennis Byron, vice president of crop development, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont, Johnston, IA, says his company is working to modify soybean and canola varieties to produce low linolenic acid content, so that hydrogenation is not required. For example, he said, "Soybean oil for some applications is partially hydrogenated because soybeans have a linolenic acid content of around 9%. However, Pioneer has developed soybean varieties that have a linolenic acid that is below 3%. This level is low enough so that hydrogenation is not required."
Interestingly, Mr. Byron says Pioneer has been working on this for over a decade. "We have been working on solutions to the trans fat issue since the early 1990s. We released our first soybean varieties with low linolenic acid content in 1995. At that time, we only had a few processors and food companies show an interest. As a result, the yield levels we had during the first release of those varieties were not as high as what our farmer customers were expecting, so that required us to offer a price premium to the growers to grow those products. In the end, the increased cost was passed along to the processors and ultimately the food companies," he explained. "This was a higher priced oil that the industry was not too keen on dealing with at that time, but with demand for trans fats alternatives picking up, the situation will change."
The Challenges Ahead
From reformulation to cost to processing changes to packaging changes, it appears the industry has a lot of work to do. "There are no simple solutions," said Cargill's Mr. Loh. "Taking the trans fats out of products goes beyond reformulation. After the proposed reformulation, then companies have to go out and do extensive testing. If companies are successful, then the next challenge is adjusting the assembly or manufacturing line. Then a company has to consider the packaging requirements and the impact on serving size."
The major impact of this ruling falls on the brand leaders in the food industry, according to Mr. Loh. "Virtually all of the brand leaders are reformulating their products today. The amount of work required is just staggering," he said. "Even more astonishing is the work that has been completed since the mid-2003 ruling."
Danisco's Ms. O'Neill focused on the cost issues. She said while companies are moving forward, they are doing so very cautiously. "The cost issues can be significant and I honestly don't know the single solution that will be cheaper," she said. "Companies are being cautious due to this and also because they are not yet sure what consumers want."
Offering another view was Tom Tiffany, manager of food oils, technical service and research and development, ADM, Decatur, IL, who said although there may be cost associated with some of these changes, they should be tolerable. More important, however, is the fact that partial hydrogenation is getting a bad reputation. "Although there are some partially hydrogenated oils that are high in trans fats, there are others that contain lower amounts or no trans fats," he said, adding, "Unfortunately, consumers constantly hear about trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils, which is detrimental to some products. The consumer is being trained to focus on the words 'partially hydrogenated' and avoid it at all costs. However, if you read the Nutrition Facts panel it is more than likely that you could have less than half a gram or no trans fats at all in the product when partially hydrogenated oils are used."
Taking this into consideration, it's obvious that consumer education will be a necessary undertaking in the future. Although major efforts have been launched by the likes of Kraft Foods and Frito-Lay, many believe consumers remain confused about trans fats. K.J. Burrington, whey applications program coordinator, Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI, said, "I don't think consumers fully understand what trans fats are; all they know at the moment is that they are bad for you." Misinformation in the media and the public domain in general has been detrimental to organizations like DMI. Ms. Burrington explained, "There has been a lot of information disseminated by mainstream media that points to animal sources of fats as containing trans fats, so people are automatically going to look at dairy as containing trans fats. What most people don't realize is that the level of trans fats is really very low. In most cases, trans fats won't even show up on the labels of most dairy products."
Also causing concern is a recent petition submitted to FDA in May by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Washington, D.C., which calls for a "TransFreeAmerica". For CSPI, it is not a matter of how low companies go with respect to trans fats, it's about ridding the market of trans fats-producing products completely. Specifically, the organization asks FDA to prohibit the use of partially hydrogenated oil as a food ingredient. Its campaign for a TransFreeAmerica was created to encourage food manufacturers to reformulate their products. While CSPI acknowledged that some companies have made changes with regard to trans fat content in products, the organization feels it is not enough. Additionally, it claims the new labeling rules will not help consumers avoid trans fats in restaurant foods. The 37-page CSPI petition is calling for a ban on partially hydrogenated oils in foods because it believes 11,000-30,000 lives per year could be saved and an economic benefit of $1 trillion over 20 years could be realized.
Mr. Tiffany said whether or not we will see a trans-free America anytime soon is not clear. "I think we will probably see a little bit of both," he said. "There will be companies that completely eliminate trans fats and those that label accordingly and maintain the status quo."
Regulatory Developments:
The Daily Value Issue
In accordance with the proposed rules for trans fats labeling, packaged foods containing .5 mg or more of trans fats per serving will be required to list the amount of trans fats directly under the "saturated fat" content on the nutrition label by January 1, 2006. Here is where a problem occurs. Saturated fat has a "daily value" (DV), or percent/% DV, assigned to it, but that is not the case with trans fats, yet. The fact is, researchers have not pinned down what a reasonable amount of trans fats in the diet should be. As a result, a current debate rages on regarding whether or not to assign a "daily value" to trans fats. So far, the National Academy of Sciences has only said that keeping trans fats as low as possible is recommended in a nutritionally adequate diet.
Mr. Tungland of Sensus America believes the absence of a daily value for trans fats is a good thing. "There should almost be zero tolerance for trans fats. What I mean by that is, trans fats have such detrimental effects on health that they should be avoided," he said. "To establish a daily value for trans fats would only lead consumers to believe that some trans fats are acceptable. Consumers really need to know what they are consuming, which is what FDA is trying to sort out at the moment."
On the other hand, DMI's Ms. Burrington, believes that without a DV for trans fats, it will be hard for consumers to know how much they can handle in their diet. She said if FDA neglects to establish a daily value, maybe an organization like the American Heart Association (AHA) will come out with a recommended level of what to shoot for other than "zero" trans fats.
On both sides of the fence was Marty Anker, R&D manager-Specialty Lipids, Kerry Americas, who said while she understands the rationale for not providing a daily value for trans fats, she thinks the absence of one on the nutrition label is likely to cause confusion. "Daily values are put in place for components that the body needs to function, so the justification behind not providing a daily value for trans fats is understood. However, the absence of a daily value for trans fats may be confusing in consumers' minds when they inspect product labels. It is very possible that they will be wondering why there is no daily value for trans fats when there are daily values for everything else."
A Healthy Future
What the market can expect over the next couple of years as the low-carb trend gets even bigger and trans fats becomes even hotter, is a dual effort to tackle both of these trends with future products.
This is already happening, according to Dansico's Ms. O'Neill. "I have noticed a lot of companies that are working to formulate low-carb products and lower trans fats at the same time," she said. "Product developers are really multitasking to achieve the goals set forth by major consumer packaged goods companies and their marketing." She continued, "Changing packaging is extremely expensive, so I can understand from that viewpoint why those companies are interested in changing more than one thing at a time."
Kerry's Ms. Anker predicted that companies will start switching to zero trans fats and eventually that will become standard. "I think there is going to continue to be a huge push to remove trans fats from all retail products. As a result, I think the fats and oils companies must gear up now in order to supply these alternate sources for the industry to use," she said, adding, "I also think that consumer awareness is only going to grow as we get closer to the ruling."
Going forward, Cargill's Mr. Loh sees nutrition moving to the forefront of product development efforts. "The trans fats issue, among many others, has prompted huge changes in the food industry," he said. "Until now, the food industry has been driven by taste and convenience. However, I think that nutrition will emerge as a major driver in the future."NW
