19 - Trans Fats Replacement Solutions in Australia and New Zealand

Abstract

With increasing evidence to support that Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs) pose a higher risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) compared to Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA), nutritional bodies continue to advocate reductions in TFA intake. Several countries have introduced legislation aimed at reducing dietary intake of TFAs. Denmark and several other European countries placed limits on the TFA content in foods that can be sold to consumers, while several other countries, including Canada and the United States, required that the TFA content is displayed on the product label if it exceeds a specified amount per serving. More recently, Singapore also has introduced TFA labeling regulations, while China is in the process of introducing legislation that makes it mandatory to declare TFAs on the nutrition label if partially hydrogenated fats have been used in product manufacture. Since the introduction of food labeling regulations, there have been marked declines in the TFA content in the food supplies of both Canada and the United States, and these reductions have been achieved without causing a significant increase in saturated fats. Australia and New Zealand are yet to introduce any compositional regulatory measures in relation to TFA in the food supply. Instead, the authorities have adopted a position of encouraging the food industry to voluntarily implement strategies to reduce the TFA content in the foods they manufacture. This chapter reviews various surveys conducted from 1970 onward on the TFA content of foods in Australia and New Zealand and discusses the measures adopted by regulatory authorities and industry to achieve a reduction in TFA intake by Australians and New Zealanders.