TRANS FAT WAR'S FIRST VICTORY FOOD: HEALTH LEGISLATION FOOD: HEALTH

0 Comments | Sunday Herald, The, Dec 10, 2006 | by Judith Duffy, Health Correspondent

FOR a land renowned for its love of hamburgers, hot dogs and all kinds of junk food, it was a significant move. Last week, health officials in New York voted unanimously to phase out the use of artificial "killer" trans fats in the city's 24,000 food outlets.

The new rules mean that from July next year, restaurants must switch to cooking oils that contain no more than tiny quantities of trans fat, and a year later the same limits will apply to all types of food.

While restaurant owners are grumbling about the ban and have even threatened to sue the city, health officials are in no doubt about the impact it will have, claiming it is of equal significance to the ban on toxic lead in paint four decades ago.

The move by New York, which is renowned for being a leader on public health issues, could herald similar bans elsewhere. Legislation passed in the United States means it is already a requirement that food labels show the amount of trans fats in their products.

In contrast, across the Atlantic, those who are concerned about trans fats in the UK are left in the dark when it comes to knowing exactly how much they could be consuming. Trans fats, also known as trans-fatty acids (TFAs), can be found in a wide range of products such as ice-cream, crisps, biscuits, breakfast cereals and fast foods, but their presence is rarely flagged up.

Shoppers have instead to scrutinise the back of food packs for words such as "hydrogenated" and "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" or "vegetable shortenings" to ascertain whether that evening's dinner might contain TFAs.

Yet, with the nation's waistline already bulging because of diets laden with saturated fats and a startling lack of exercise, is it actually worth spending too much time worrying about what impact trans fats might be having?

Unsurprisingly, American campaigners believe it is a matter of major concern. Jenn Breckenridge, director of the Trans Fat Free NYC campaign, described the New York restaurant ban as a "radical decision - in a good way".

"The health commissioner here in New York compares it to taking the lead out of paint, " she said. "Here is this poison, we are surrounding ourselves in it and you're not going to miss anything when it is gone, except the illness.

"According to Harvard researchers, 500 people in New York alone die prematurely through trans fat intake [each year] - that is more than in car accidents."

Trans fats are formed during a process known as hydrogenation, which subjects oils to high temperatures to stabilise and solidify them, making them last longer.

THEY are also naturally present in small amounts in some foods, such as dairy products and meat, but it is the artificially produced ones that have been linked to negative health effects - in particular heart disease, due to the effect of raising the "bad" form of blood cholesterol.

Recent research by US scientists found that a 2per cent rise in the energy intake from trans fatty acids was associated with a 23per cent rise in the incidence of coronary heart disease. A study published earlier this year also found that consuming artificial trans fats could increase the size of your waistline, even if a relatively low number of calories are consumed, raising the risk of both heart disease and diabetes.

What is most frustrating to those opposed to trans fats is that they have no nutritional benefit at all and are solely used by food manufacturers to extend the shelf life of some products and enhance the taste of others.

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the British watchdog body on food safety, consumption of trans fats in the UK is at a low level, with an average intake of 1.1per cent of total energy, below the recommended 2per cent. Of far greater concern, it believes, is the amount of saturated fats people are eating, which is higher than recommended. The agency is therefore concentrating on a strategy to reduce levels of these in the diet.

However, at the same time, the FSA has pushed officials in Brussels for a change in the law, which would force manufacturers to identify the trans fat content in a revision of labelling requirements which is due to be published next year.

"The agency recognises that some food products contain a high level of trans fats, " a spokeswoman for FSA Scotland said. "Food labels are currently not required to show the trans fat content so consumers cannot identify products with high levels.

"The agency is therefore seeking an appropriate amendment when the EU nutrition labelling directive is revised."

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) agrees that saturated fats are more of a concern. Alex Callaghan, policy officer at the BHF, said: "Most of us consume trans fats within 'safe' levels, so this isn't an issue that should cause too much anxiety.

"As a nation, our high intake of saturated fats is much more of a threat to our heart health. We're calling for manufacturers and retailers to clearly label trans fats on food packaging, so that people can make informed decisions about their diet."