You know I love the Coast Guard but enough is enough. I know I would not make it in todays Guard.
ALCOAST 401/08
COMDTNOTE 4061
SUBJ: COAST GUARD BAN ON THE USE OF TRANS FAT AND ENCOURAGED
REDUCTION OF USE OF DEEP FAT FRYERS
1. ARTIFICIAL TRANS FATS, ALSO KNOWN AS PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED
OILS, ARE OFTEN FOUND IN STICK MARGARINE, DOUGHNUTS, CRACKERS,
PIZZA DOUGH, FRIED FOODS, BAKED GOODS AND OTHER SNACK FOODS.
SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT CONSUMPTION OF TRANS FATS INCREASES
RISK OF HEART DISEASE BY RAISING LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (LDL) OR
BAD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS IN THE BLOOD. IT IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH A
HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING TYPE TWO DIABETES.
2. NATURALLY OCCURRING TRANS FATS CAN BE FOUND IN SOME MEAT, MILK
AND OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS AND ARE NOT FOUND ON NUTRITION LABELS.
THESE TRANS FATS HAVE NOT BEEN SHOWN TO SHARE THE SAME HARMFUL
PROPERTIES OF SYNTHETIC TRANS FATS RESULTING FROM HYDROGENATION.
3. IN JANUARY 2006 THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) REQUIRED
THAT THE ARTIFICIAL TRANS FAT CONTENT BE LISTED ON THE NUTRITION
FACTS PANEL OF PACKAGED FOODS.
4. IN JUNE 2006 THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION (AHA) RECOMMENDED A
HEALTHY DIETARY PATTERN AND LIFESTYLE TO COMBAT HEART DISEASE BY
LIMITING TRANS FAT CONSUMPTION TO LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF TOTAL
CALORIES OR TWO GRAMS IN A 2,000 CALORIE DIET.
5. SINCE 2006 LARGE CITIES SUCH AS NEW YORK, BOSTON AND
PHILADELPHIA, ALONG WITH MANY CORPORATE RESTAURANTS, FOOD
MANUFACTURERS AND FOOD SERVICE BUSINESSES HAVE ESTABLISHED POLICY
BANNING THE USE OF TRANS FATS IN MENU ITEMS.
6. TO PROTECT THE LONG TERM HEALTH AND OPERATIONAL READINESS OF OUR
WORK FORCE THE COAST GUARD IS ADOPTING THE EVIDENCE-BASED
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE AHA AND FDA AND APPLYING THEM TO COAST
GUARD FOOD SERVICE POLICY. THEREFORE THE USE AND SERVING OF TRANS
FATS IN MENU ITEMS SERVED IN COAST GUARD STAFFED DINING FACILITIES
(CGDF) WILL BE PROHIBITED.
7. EFFECTIVE 01 SEPTEMBER 2008, UNITS OPERATING A COAST GUARD
STAFFED DINING FACILITY ARE PROHIBITED FROM PURCHASING AND OR USING
ANY PRODUCT CONTAINING 0.5 GRAMS OR MORE OF TRANS FAT PER SERVING.
8. TRANS FAT FREE PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE AT EVERY COMMERCIAL FOOD
SERVICE DISTRIBUTION FACILITY THAT IS REGISTERED WITH THE DEFENSE
SUPPLY CENTER PHILADELPHIA (DSCP). THESE PRODUCTS ARE LISTED IN THE
FEDERAL SUPPLY CENTER CATALOG, GROUP 89 (FSC 89) AND SHALL BE USED
IN CGDFS AS A REPLACEMENT FOR PRODUCTS THAT EXCEED 0.5 GRAM OF FAT
PER SERVING.
9. DUE TO THE HIGH CALORIC CONTENT AND LOW NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF
DEEP FRIED FOODS CGDF PERSONNEL ARE ALSO STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO
REDUCE THE USE OF THE DEEP FAT FRYERS IN COAST GUARD STAFFED DINING
FACILITIES AND TO IMPLEMENT HEALTHY COOKING TECHNIQUES TO SUPPORT
THE HEALTH OF THE CG WORKFORCE.
10. THESE CHANGES WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE NEXT CHANGE OF THE
FOOD SERVICE MANUAL.
11. MORE INFORMATION ON TRANS FATS MAY BE FOUND ON THE FOOD SERVICE
PORTAL AT:
http://HTTP://CGWEB.TCPET.USCG.MIL/T_DIV/SMS/FSINFORMATIONPORTAL.
12. POC FOR CG-1111 IS FSCM PHILIP GARRETT,
PHILIP.A.GARRETT(AT)USCG.MIL OR (202) 475-5150.
13. RADM MARK J. TEDESCO, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND SAFETY, SENDS.
14. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
