title: Trans fatty acids: current contents in Canadian foods and estimated intake levels for the Canadian population.
abstract: Research conducted in the mid-1990s indicated that the levels of trans fats in Canadian diets were among the highest in the world. The consumption of trans fats raises blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, while reducing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol. In June 2007, Health Canada called on the food industry to voluntarily reduce levels of trans fats in vegetable oils and soft (tub)-margarines to < 2% of total fat, and in all other foods, to < 5%. Industry must show satisfactory progress by June 2009, or Health Canada might have to introduce legislation to ensure that recommended limits are achieved. Since 2005, Health Canada has been performing a national assessment of prepackaged and restaurant foods that likely contain trans fats. From 2005 to 2009, 1120 samples were analyzed, of which 852 or approximately 76% met the recommended trans fat limits. As a result of reformulation, most of the products had decreased trans + saturated fat content. The estimated average intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) in Canada significantly dropped from the high value of 8.4 g/day in the mid-1990s to 3.4 g/day (or 1.4% food energy) in 2008. However, this TFA intake of 1.4% of energy is still above the World Health Organization recommended limit of TFA intake of < 1% of energy, which suggests that the Canadian food industry needs to put more effort into reducing the TFA content in its products, especially in tub-margarines, donuts, and bakery products.
authors.affiliation: Health Canada, Health Products and Food Branch, Bureau of Nutritional Sciences, 251 Sir Frederick Banting Dr, Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0K9. nimal_ratnayake@hc-sc.gc.ca
authors.forename: W M Nimal
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Ratnayake
authors.forename: Mary R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: L'Abbe
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farnworth
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dumais
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lampi
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Dayani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mohottalage
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rondeau
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Underhill
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vigneault
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lillycrop
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meleta
authors.forename: Lynn Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Tran
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Keri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chalouh
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pantazopoulos
authors.forename: Hasantha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gunaratna
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahardja
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blagden
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roscoe
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krakalovich
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Gary A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lombaert
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005504:Food Analysis; D019649:Food Industry; D005515:Food Labeling; D006801:Humans; D006865:Hydrogenation; D008383:Margarine; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D010938:Plant Oils; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D010938:Plant Oils; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids; D008383:Margarine