Food safety officials in the United States have taken steps to ban the use of trans fats, saying they are a threat to health.
Trans fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils, are no longer "generally recognised as safe", said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The regulator said a ban could prevent 7,000 deaths and 20,000 heart attacks in the US each year, the BBC reports.
The FDA is opening a 60-day consultation period on the plan, which would gradually phase out trans fats.
"While consumption of potentially harmful artificial trans fat has declined over the last two decades in the United States, current intake remains a significant public health concern," FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said in a statement.
"The FDA's action today is an important step toward protecting more Americans from the potential dangers of trans fat."
If the agency's plan is successful, the heart-clogging oils would be considered food additives and could not be used in food unless officially approved.
The ruling does not affect foods with naturally occurring trans fats, which are present in small amounts in certain meat and dairy products.
Artificial trans fats are used both in processed food and in restaurants as a way to improve the shelf life or flavour of foods.
Some companies have already phased out trans fats, prompted by new nutritional labels introduced in 2006 requiring it to be listed on food packaging.
New York City and some other local governments have also banned it.
Outgoing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who led the charge to ban trans fats in that city, said the FDA plan "deserves great credit".
