When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its final determination June 16, giving the food industry three years to remove artificial trans fat from its products, the industry had already made huge advances in finding substitutes.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) says food and beverage companies have already voluntarily lowered the amount of trans fat added to food products by more than 86 percent. The American Bakers Association (ABA) says it is pleased the agency has allowed for an orderly transition, something the association had asked for in its comments.

“This action provides bakers and other food makers adequate time to further formulate to other, healthier alternatives, as well as address a number of practical challenges including packaging changes and availability,” ABA says in a statement.

But the trade group says it was disappointed FDA chose to remove trans fat from the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list of ingredients, stating that decision short-circuited the regular rule-making process and deprived the agency of important stakeholder feedback.