From: pimentel@pol.net
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2005 6:52 PM
To: Dockets, FDA
Subject: Trans Fat Labels

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am an internist (hospitalist) at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania. I am writing to you to express my continuing concern about the use of partially hydrogenated oils in the making of food.

I have been saying the same thing about trans fats since the early 80's (I call them POISONS). At that time I was finishing a M.S. in Biology. They taught is in Biochemistry that since we do not have the enzymes necessary to metabolize these artificial fatty acids they should simply stop making them. In a few words: these compounds accumulate (and do disasters) in our bodies.

I am 100% sure that a lot of disease and death is related to these poisons. A discussion about this is long. I do have plenty of data and publications.

I think they (trans-fats) should:

(1) Be completely prohibited from being added to any food in the entire world.

(2) In the unwise world of continuing allowing the addition of these to foods, the food labels should then read something like "the consumption of trans fat in almost any quantity has been linked to serious adverse health effects". Keeping them "to a minimum" is simply not a sufficient measure.

(3) It is COMPLETELY inappropriate (and should be prohibited) to list "zero" grams of trans fat or the "trans-fat free" label in ANY product in which any form of "partially hydrogenated" has been used (even in minuscule amounts).

Again, I believe that trans-fats meet beyond doubt the definition of a poison.

Appreciate your attention to this matter.
I am available in case of any questions or feed-back.
Thanks.

Gonzalo Pimentel, MD
Lehigh Valley Hospital - Muhlenberg
2545 Schoenersville Rd.
3rd Floor
Bethlehem, PA  18017