Back in 2015, partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) were ruled unsafe for human consumption. The FDA’s original final decision can be found here. The deadline for removing PHOs, for the vast majority, remains June 18th 2018 — just 30 days away!
But today the FDA announced — “FDA Extends Compliance Date for Certain Uses of Partially Hydrogenated Oils in Food; Denies Petition for Certain Uses of PHOs”
“For the majority of uses of PHOs, June 18, 2018 remains the date after which manufacturers cannot add PHOs to foods. However, to allow for an orderly transition in the marketplace, the FDA is allowing more time for products produced prior to June 18, 2018 to work their way through distribution. The FDA is extending the compliance date for these foods to January 1, 2020. This action balances the health benefits of removing PHOs from the food supply with the need to provide an orderly transition in the marketplace.”
“At the same time, the FDA is denying a food additive petition from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) requesting approval for certain limited uses of PHOs. To allow for time for reformulation, the agency is extending until June 18, 2019 the compliance date to stop manufacturing foods with these specific, limited petitioned uses of PHOs, and until Jan. 1, 2021 for these products to work their way through distribution.”
“For convenience, FDA is summarizing the extended compliance dates as follows: