Food giant Kraft Foods has announced existing stocks of Oreo cookies will have to be sold before it rolls out a federally mandated, reduced trans fat version.

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"It's hard to say exactly when a zero trans Oreo will be in all stores," said David Tovar, Kraft's director of corporate affairs told the Chicago Tribune.

A new U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation, which is supposed to force foodmakers to list the amount of trans fat on food labels, goes into effect Jan. 1, but allows for the inventory-related delay.

In April 2004, Kraft unveiled a new Reduced Fat Oreo, as well as new Golden Oreo Original and Golden Uh-Oh Oreo, all with zero grams of trans fat, but has wrestled with producing a new version of its mainstay Oreo cookie.

Kraft has spent more than 30,000 work-hours and carried out 125 plant trials in a bid to develop a redesigned Oreo, and has settled on a blend of specialty canola oil and palm oil, Tovar said.