Trans Fat Ban: Government Promotes Bad Science; Government Eventually Punishes Companies That Listened
As I've noted on Twitter, it was our government that got companies and people replacing what evidence shows to be healthy fat -- butter and lard -- with unhealthy (but not poisonous) trans fat.

Now, the FDA's planned a de facto ban on trans fats (by removing them from the GRAS list -- Generally Recognized As Safe, which means food manufacturers would have to prove they don't have adverse effects before adding them to products). Now products will have to be remade, which will surely take new approvals from the government, which will surely cost the companies big -- which is a big deal if your company happens to be small.

Michelle Minton writes on Open Market about the ban -- and the likely next targets of the government, sugar and salt:

The de facto ban on trans fat's GRAS status signals a sea change in the agency's approach to food-safety regulation. Historically, the FDA has banned only additives and products that could be acutely dangerous to public health. FDA attempts to limit other ingredients, such as salt and sugar, have met public backlash, but it's unlikely many will step up to defend trans fats, considering the scientific evidence that seems to link its long-term consumption with a slightly increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Since almost any food can become dangerous if consumed in excess over an extended period, this move would set a precedent for the FDA to go after other food ingredients. Unsurprisingly, self-styled "public health" advocates -- always at the forefront of nanny state regulatory efforts - are elated at this prospect.

Ironically, the increase in the use of trans-fats can be credited in large part to advice and advocacy efforts by these same groups. As Olga Khazan at The Atlantic notes:

In the 1980s, some scientists began to associate heart disease with saturated fats, and in response, groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the National Heart Savers Association began to hound manufacturers for "poisoning America ... by using saturated fats," and as a result "nearly all targeted firms responded by replacing saturated fats with trans fats," as David Schleifer wrote in 2012 for the journal Technology and Culture."

...Ultimately, there are hundreds of foods and ingredients that if consumed in large enough quantities for a long enough period of time will result in negative health outcomes. The solution is not to ban them but to let consumers access information and make their own choices. Let nutrition groups petition companies to voluntarily list ingredients and offer healthier options if they like, but keep government out of the decision so consumers can make their own choices.

As the debate over trans fat shows, health advocates, research scientists and our own government often do not know what is best for us; individuals must decide for themselves.

via @PaulHsieh