The FDA is cracking down on artificial trans fats, calling them a threat to public health.
The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it will require food companies to phase out the use artificial trans fats almost entirely. Consumers aren’t likely to notice much of a difference in their favorite foods.
When it was first proposed in November 2013, Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the ban could prevent 20,000 heart attacks each year and 7,000 deaths.
READ MORE: FDA tells food industry to phase out artificial trans fat
Trans fat – found in deep-fried foods, frozen foods and packaged products – is made when a liquid vegetable oil is changed into solid fat. It’s usually added to processed goods to make them tastier and helps keep the food stay fresh longer.
Could Canada jump on board? So far, federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose is only saying that Canadian health officials are watching the results of the U.S. move closely.
“I would say we’ve always been ahead of the curve on labelling and making sure Canadians get all of the information they need and I know Canada is looking at what the FDA has done and their science behind that,” she said at a press conference following the announcement.
The Canadian arm of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest said that Canada could become a “dumping ground” for processed goods that are no longer welcome in the U.S.
READ MORE: Q & A: What are trans fats and why is the FDA phasing them out?
“It’s unclear what the net effect of the U.S. regulation would be. It could be Canadian consumers would benefit from U.S. food supplies or it could be that the U.S. could see Canada as a dumping ground because they have a product that has trans fat and it’s a little cheaper to make,” Bill Jeffery, CSPI national coordinator, told Global News when the change was proposed.
In response to the U.S. announcement, the Canadian CSPI said consumers north of the border could see a “benefit indirectly” because U.S. exports without trans fat will make their way onto our grocery store shelves. Read the full statement here.
READ MORE: FDA to phase out use of trans fat, preventing heart attacks and death
Health Canada told Global News in 2013 that the government agency adopted recommendations made by the Trans Fat Task Force and launched its own monitoring program to watch the food industry’s progress in reducing trans fat. Now, nearly 75 per cent of the products monitored met recommended levels and even fast food chains and restaurants have cut back on or eliminated trans fat, a spokesperson said in an email.
Trans fat is still found in these processed foods:
- crackers, cookies, cakes, frozen pies and other baked goods
- snack foods (such as microwave popcorn)
- frozen pizza
- vegetable shortenings and stick margarines
- coffee creamers
- refrigerated dough products (such as biscuits and cinnamon rolls)
- ready-to-use frostings
Eat Right Ontario also points to ramen noodles, puddings, liquid coffee whiteners and other frozen goods.
READ MORE: Does trans fat damage your memory?
Natural trans fat can be found in milk, meat and butter. But keep in mind, this trans fat in natural foods is different from the manufactured trans fat and doesn’t increase risk of heart disease.
– With files from The Associated Press
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
Follow @Carmen_Chai
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