Saturated Fats & Pulse Initiative plus Beer Season

The FDA has saturated fats in their sights. They have issued a Federal Register notice with its preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils or PHOs are no longer "generally recognized as safe." If this preliminary determination is finalized, then PHOs would become food additives subject to premarket approval by FDA. If they make that final determination it would end the use of saturated fats in foods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a further reduction of trans fat in the food supply can prevent an additional 7,000 deaths from heart disease and up to 20,000 heart attacks each year.

Students and farmers could benefit from a new federal initiative supported by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Maria Cantwell. Crapo hopes to get the initiative inserted into the farm bill.

CRAPO: It's definitely not too late and I don't want to declare victory before we achieve it but as we negotiate the farm bill it's entirely possible to get one to both of the Pulse initiatives included in the farm bill. That doesn't mean the negotiators will do it but in this case the health benefits are so strong and the case is so strong for including this pilot program for our school food programs that I think we have a reasonable shot at it.

Now it's beer season. Susan Carter has the story.

(USDA Report)

Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.