University of Connecticut to eliminate all trans fat

Nov. 25—Prior to the Nov. 7 announcement from the Food and Drug Administration that they planned to eliminate all trans fat from manufactured foods, the University of Connecticut Dining Services has been actively eliminating trans fat since last August.

“A year ago we started to look at trans fats. We knew this was on the rise,” said Dennis Pierce, director of dining services.

Trans fats, unsaturated fats that are artificially produced, have gained notoriety in the past few years after research that had previously thought partially hydrogenated trans-fat, such as Crisco, was healthier than animal fats, such as butter. However, recent research from the FDA has found that trans fats can cause coronary heart disease, high cholesterol and is linked to cancer, infertility in women, Alzheimer’s, obesity and diabetes. Previously, despite banning of the substance in Iceland, Switzerland and Denmark, the FDA considered trans fats “generally safe.” In their recent proposal, however, the FDA said that banning trans fat would result in 2,000 fewer heart attacks and 7,000 fewer deaths from heart disease every year.