NZFSA looks to lower trans fatty acids in New Zealand’s food supply

Despite most New Zealanders currently consuming low levels of trans fatty acids (TFAs), the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has met with representatives from the takeaway food industry to discuss TFA consumption.

The meeting considered options that would ensure New Zealand’s TFA consumption rates remain below recommended levels and reduce them even further.

Representatives from fast food restaurant chains, oil manufacturers, the Food Industry Group, the National Heart Foundation and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) discussed various non-regulatory actions that would reduce TFAs while ensuring levels of saturated fats (which are too high in many New Zealanders’ diets) did not rise as a result.

They identified price and flavour as key drivers in improving frying practices and considered training and education programmes as a way forward.

There is growing consumer and media interest in links between consumption of TFAs and adverse health outcomes. Foods high in TFA increase ‘bad’ cholesterol levels while lowering levels of ‘good’ cholesterol.

TFAs are found naturally in dairy products and some meat. Artificial TFAs are formed when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil. Manufacturers use the process, known as hydrogenation, to boost the shelf life of some baked and fried foods. TFAs are also found in spreads such as margarine, cooking fats used for deep frying, and shortening for baking.

Kiwis get just 0.7 percent of their daily kilojules (energy) from TFAs – well below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended maximum of 1 percent – while more than 15 percent of our energy comes from saturated fat, which far exceeds WHO’s recommended 8-10 percent.

Carole Inkster, Director of NZFSA’s Joint Food Standards and Policy groups, who chaired the meeting, says: “Saturated fat is a far bigger culprit in terms of risks to our overall health.”

Foods high in saturated fat include fatty cuts of meat and bacon, sausages, some oils, coconut, full-cream dairy products, baked items and pastries.

A review of TFAs in the New Zealand food supply published by FSANZ in May advised against any immediate regulatory intervention, based on our low uptake levels. It favours voluntary moves by industry to phase out the use of TFAs. A further review is planned in 2009.

Says Carole: “NZFSA supports a non-regulatory approach to managing TFAs and we would like to see that approach continue.

“We will be working with industry to come up with some firm actions and will assist wherever possible – for example, by monitoring progress.”