MEPs voted on 26 October on a resolution calling for limits on trans fats. These industrial artificially produced fats can be found in anything from fast food to bakery products, chips and margarine, however they can also prove bad for your health. Scientific research has linked heavy consumption of them with obesity, diabetes, infertility, Alzheimers and cardiovascular diseases.
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What trans fats are and where you can find them
Trans fats or trans fatty acids (TFAs) are a type of unsaturated fatty acid that have been widely used in the food industry since the 1950s. Foods that may be high in trans-fats include ready-made meals, frying fat for industrial use, margarine used in pastry, pre-packed bakery products, cakes, biscuits and wafers, microwave popcorn, deep-fried foods and soups and sauces.
How they affect your health
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the evidence of trans fat posing a risk to your health is overwhelming. It recommends reducing it to less than 1% of your total daily energy intake.
German EPP member Renate Sommer, one of the MEPs behind this resolution that will be voted on this week, said: “The excessive consumption of trans fatty acids increases the risk of heart disease. Coronary heart disease is conservatively estimated to account for some 660,000 deaths annually in the EU or some 14% of overall mortality.”
Romanian S&D member Daciana Sârbu, one of the other MEPs involved with the resolution, said: “Trans fats are a significant factor in causing heart disease, one of Europe’s biggest killers. Trans fats bring more risk of heart disease than any other macro-nutrient on a per calorie basis.”
The situation in the United States
Food producers have been obliged to indicate the presence of trans fatty acids in their products on labels since 2006. This has led to the food industry significantly cutting back on how many trans fatty acids they use.
The situation in the EU
The European Union does not currently have legislation regulating the content of trans fats in food products or requiring their labelling. However, several EU countries do:
- Denmark, Austria, Hungary and Latvia have legal limits on industrially produced trans fats in foods
- Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom and Greece have voluntary measures to reduce trans fats
- Some countries have dietary recommendations such as Bulgaria, Malta, Slovakia, the UK, Sweden and Finland.
In a report on trans fats published in December 2015, the European Commission concluded that a legal limit for industrial trans fatty acids content would be the most effective measure for tackling the problem.
Further information
World Health Organization’s policy brief (2015)
Source: European Parliament
