Is Partially Hydrogenated Oils banned?
Yes. Partially Hydrogenated Oils is banned, restricted, or carries a mandatory warning label in 5 countries 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). The US FDA still permits it, which is why it shows up in everyday American food and beauty products.
Countries where Partially Hydrogenated Oils is banned or restricted
| Country / Region | Status |
|---|---|
| United States (FDA revoked GRAS status 2015; compliance deadline June 2018; manufacturing effectively banned) | Banned or restricted |
| European Union (banned 2021 — maximum 2g trans fat per 100g total fat) | Banned or restricted |
| Canada (banned 2018) | Banned or restricted |
| United Kingdom | Banned or restricted |
| Denmark (first country to ban, 2003) | Banned or restricted |
Why Partially Hydrogenated Oils is flagged
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.
Scan your pantry for Partially Hydrogenated Oils
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