An updated analysis of trans fatty acids in Canadian packaged foods

Abstract

The Canadian food industry has voluntarily reduced the trans fatty acid (TFA) content of foods, however there are no updated analyses of TFA levels in Canadian foods. This study assessed TFA levels in Canadian packaged foods in 2013, compared to historical data. Data from Health Canada's Trans Fat Monitoring Program (TFMP, n=541 in 2006‐09) and the University of Toronto Food Label Information Program (n=1999 in 2010; n=2542 in 2013) were used. In 2013, 97% of foods met the TFA limits, increased from 95% in 2010 and 78% during the TFMP. The proportion of products meeting the TFA limits was below the overall average for lard (0%), coffee whiteners (67%), brownies (88%), snack puddings (92%) and garlic bread (94%). Among food categories with >10% of products exceeding TFA limits in 2010, there were few significant increases in the proportion of foods meeting TFA limits in 2013 compared to 2010, including dairy free cheeses (0% to 83% meeting, p=0.002) and cakes with pudding/mousse (77% to 97%, p=0.046). When assessing TFA as a percent total fat, Mexican kits was the only category with a significant increase in mean TFA as a percent total fat (7.6±1.8% to 20.3±5.9%). Categories exceeding 20% TFA as a percentage of total fat were coffee whiteners (55.6±16.7%), frosting (23.1±9.7%), lard and shortening (22.0±17.8%), margarine (20.5±14.4%) and popcorn (37.5%). There has been an overall improvement in the proportion of packaged food products that meet the recommended TFA limits and the majority of food categories did not have increased levels of TFA. However, several categories continue to have an unacceptably high proportion of foods exceeding TFA limits, suggesting that action by the food industry and/or government is still required to ensure maximal health benefits for Canada.