War Against Trans Fats in Canadian Diet
Canada Blazing Trail to Reduce Trans Fatty Acids in Food Production
May 22, 2009
Researchers have sounded the alarm about trans fats in the Canadian diet.
In North America, Health Canada has responded by adopting the recommendations of the Trans Fat Task Force in relation to the amount of trans fat in Canadian foods.
Trans Fats
What foods contain trans fats? What contributes to diets high in trans fats?
- Trans fatty acids are present in small amounts in dairy products and in some animal products, such as beef and lamb.
- Trans fat forms when liquid oils undergo partial hydrogenation to harden them for production of hydrogenated margarine or shortening.
- Other liquid oils contain small amounts of trans fats which may form during commercial refining.
The Truth About Trans Fats and Coronary Heart Disease in Canadians
Trans fat poses risk to the human heart. Why? Trans fat elevates levels of LDL-cholesterol, considered the bad cholesterol fat. On top of this, trans fat also lowers levels of heart-protective HDL-cholesterol.
North American diets contain undesirable levels of trans fats and many foods are prepared with hydrogenated fats. Modern food production methods have contributed to higher amounts of trans fats in processed foods. Foods containing trans fatty acids may have a longer shelf-life and might be more convenient and tasty, but the toll on human health has been telling.
The good news is that Canada's trans fat consumption has decreased by 40% over the past decade. Further reductions are necessary as part of the trans fat solution.
- In 2006, the Trans Fat Task Force released a report entitled, TRANSforming the Food Supply, outlining the following recommendations:
- Limit the trans fat in margarines and vegetable oils to 2% of total fat content
- Reduce trans fat content for all other foods to total fat content of 5%
- In 2007, Health Canada adopted these recommendations and gave the food industry two years to implement necessary changes. Health Canada has pledged to monitor and enact regulations to ensure that trans fats are reduced in food products and replaced with healthy fats.
The Trans Fat Monitoring Program
The Trans Fat Monitoring Program analyzes food from restaurants and fast food outlets and evaluates pre-packaged foods, then compiles data according to findings and publishes these findings.
- Canada has been the first country to publish this data.
The Trans Fat Monitoring Program will work to bring about industry compliance so that the Canadian food supply meets recommended trans fats limits. While zero trans fat may not be possible, the goal since inception has been to eliminate "processed trans fats, by limiting the processed trans fat content of any food product sold in Canada to the lowest level possible " (Canada. Parliament. House of Commons. Journals of the House of Commons. 38th Parliament, 1st session, No. 30, November 23, 2004).
- Since 2005, the Government of Canada has instituted mandatory nutrition labeling for pre-packaged foods, which includes amounts of trans fat.
- As of 2007, mandatory labeling for pre-packaged foods requires that trans fat be listed in the Nutrition Facts Table.
- Canada is the first country in the world to introduce mandatory labeling for trans fat.
While a diet that contains no trans fat is unrealistic, Canada has been a trial-blazer. Cutting undesirable levels of trans fats in Canadian food products will help to reduce known risk factors and curb heart disease.
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