The next time you enter the supermarket to buy those ooh so tempting chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, margarine or oil check the label for the trans fat percentage, advised Senior Nutritionist within the Ministry of Health, Phillipa Barry.

Her suggestion is part of the Ministry’s ongoing sensitisation programme for a healthier Territory.

“Although we don’t have any existing legislation that would allow for us to assess the situation at the moment,” Barry admitted. “I know there have been talks in the Caribbean to have some policy instituted in the respective countries, where regional manufacturers have to place the level of trans fat on the packaged product.”

Pointing out that because it’s mandatory for manufacturers/companies in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe to list the percentage of trans fat on their food labels, it gives consumers here to weigh their options of what to buy.

“If the label says 0.5 grammes trans fat, it means it’s at the minimum level. However, over that means you have to be careful when using the product,” Barry warned.

She said basically, trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil—a process called hydrogenation.

“Hydrogenation increases the shelf life and flavour stability of foods containing these fats,” the Nutritionist explained.

Unlike other fats, the majority of trans fat is formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine.

A small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in some animal-based foods. Trans fat, like saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, raises the LDL (bad) cholesterol that increases the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD).  However, although saturated fat is the main dietary culprit that raises LDL, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also contribute significantly.

So what is her Department currently doing to make some strides in educating the public on trans fat? Barry disclosed that in 2003/2004 the food and nutrition policy was ratified and the Nutrition Department teamed up with the Health Ministry to which the National Food and Nutrition Policy was formed.

Since then officials from agencies that included the Department of Agriculture, Education, Trade and Investment attended a workshop with the view of having an inter-sectorial approach to evaluate and brainstorm what mechanisms can be done to move forward.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comments

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment