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Answer: Yes — Partially Hydrogenated Oils is banned in 5 countries/regions including United States (FDA revoked GRAS status 2015; compliance deadline June 2018; manufacturing effectively banned), European Union (banned 2021 — maximum 2g trans fat per 100g total fat), Canada (banned 2018), United Kingdom. The FDA still allows it in US food. Commonly found in: Historical: many stick margarines, Historical: vegetable shortening, Historical: commercial fried foods.
TL;DR: Partially Hydrogenated Oils is restricted in the EU but allowed in the US (food additives).
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Also called Trans fats.
Other names: PHOs, Trans fats, Artificial trans fatty acids, Hydrogenated vegetable oil
| EU status | Restricted |
|---|---|
| US status | Allowed |
| Risk level | — |
| Where it shows up | Historical: many stick margarines, Historical: vegetable shortening, Historical: commercial fried foods, Historical: packaged baked goods, Still found in some imported products, Some restaurants in countries without bans |
Partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) are vegetable oils that have been treated with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalyst to make them semi-solid at room temperature. This process creates artificial trans fatty acids (trans fats) as a byproduct. They were developed in the early 20th century as a cheaper, longer-lasting alternative to lard and butter.
PHOs were used to create solid fats for baking and frying with long shelf life and high heat stability. They are cheaper than butter or coconut oil and do not need refrigeration. Used for decades in baked goods, fried foods, margarine, and packaged snacks.
Artificial trans fats (from PHOs) have the most well-established cardiovascular harm of any food ingredient ever banned. Multiple large meta-analyses have confirmed that trans fat consumption increases LDL ('bad') cholesterol, decreases HDL ('good') cholesterol, increases inflammatory markers, and significantly raises cardiovascular disease risk. The Harvard Nurses' Health Study and other landmark prospective studies in the 1990s identified trans fat as uniquely harmful — worse than saturated fat in its cardiovascular effects. A 2006 NEJM meta-analysis by Mozaffarian et al. estimated that eliminating artificial trans fats from the US diet could prevent 72,000 to 228,000 heart attacks per year and 30,000 to 100,000 coronary heart disease deaths annually. The WHO estimates that industrially produced trans fats cause over 500,000 cardiovascular deaths per year globally. The FDA revoked PHOs' GRAS status in 2015 based on this evidence, with compliance by 2018. Denmark banned artificial trans fats in 2003, the first country to do so, and observed a dramatic reduction in cardiovascular mortality in subsequent years.
For educational use only. This page summarizes the regulatory status of Partially Hydrogenated Oilswith citations to the primary sources below. It is not medical advice. Regulatory status is not the same as a proven health effect — read the cited sources for their exact wording, and consult a doctor for decisions about your or your family's health.
Saturated fats (palm oil, coconut oil, butter) and liquid vegetable oils reformulated through interesterification. High-oleic sunflower, safflower, and canola oils provide heat stability for frying without trans fats. The transition has been largely successful in the US, EU, and Canada, demonstrating that PHO elimination is completely commercially feasible.
Yes. The FDA revoked GRAS status for PHOs in 2015 with compliance deadline June 2018. Manufacturing of PHO-containing products for US sale is effectively banned. This followed decades of evidence that artificial trans fats are uniquely harmful for cardiovascular health.
Following the 2018 compliance deadline, PHOs should no longer be manufactured for US food use. However, some products made before the deadline may still be in commerce, and imported products may contain PHOs. Trace trans fats can also occur naturally in dairy and meat (ruminant trans fats, which have different health effects than artificial trans fats).
Trans fats simultaneously raise LDL ('bad') cholesterol and lower HDL ('good') cholesterol — a double negative cardiovascular effect. Saturated fats raise LDL but do not lower HDL. This dual mechanism makes artificial trans fats uniquely harmful and is why researchers concluded they were 'the most toxic food ingredient ever consumed.'
The FDA revoked GRAS status for PHOs in 2015. The compliance deadline for food manufacturers was June 2018. Denmark was the first country to ban artificial trans fats (2003). The EU banned them in 2021. Canada in 2018.
The FDA requires trans fat declaration on Nutrition Facts labels if a food contains ≥0.5g of trans fat per serving. Products can claim '0g trans fat' if they contain less than 0.5g per serving — meaning multiple servings could add up to a meaningful amount. Check ingredient lists for 'partially hydrogenated' oils as a more reliable indicator.
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Denmark was the first country to ban artificial trans fats in 2003, limiting trans fat in food to 2g per 100g total fat. Studies found a statistically significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality in Denmark in the years following the ban, providing real-world evidence of the population health benefit of elimination.
Natural trans fats from ruminant animals (beef, dairy) including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and vaccenic acid appear to have neutral or possibly beneficial health effects — unlike industrial artificial trans fats from PHOs. The cardiovascular harms documented in research apply specifically to industrially produced trans fats.
Check the Nutrition Facts label for 'Trans Fat' — ≥0.5g/serving must be declared. More reliably, scan ingredient lists for 'partially hydrogenated oil' or 'shortening' — any mention of 'partially hydrogenated' indicates PHO content. If you see this in a US product made after 2018, the manufacturer may be operating outside compliance.
Audited products that don't contain Partially Hydrogenated Oils.
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