Is Trans Fat Legal in South Africa

The FDA`s first direct regulation on trans fats was the requirement that they be labeled in amounts greater than 0.5 g per serving, which went into effect on January 1, 2006. [54] A likely link between processed and fried foods containing so-called “trans fats” and ovarian cancer has been identified by UN scientists, they said Thursday. Even before the federal ban, the state of California and several U.S. cities took steps to reduce trans fat consumption. In March 2003, Denmark became the first country to effectively ban artificial trans fats.[23] It limited trans levels to 2% of fats and oils intended for human consumption, a standard that fails partially hydrogenated oil. This restriction applies to ingredients and not to finished products. This regulatory approach made Denmark the first country where it was possible to eat “much less” than 1 g of industrially produced trans fat per day, even on a processed diet. [24] A public health study concluded that the Danish government`s efforts to reduce trans fat intake from 6 g to 1 g per day in people over 20 years of age are linked to a 50% reduction in deaths from ischaemic heart disease. [25] Three months after the lawsuit was filed,[86] on June 16, 2015, the FDA decided to eliminate artificial trans fats from the United States. food supply, with a three-year period for manufacturers. [88] The FDA specifically ruled that trans fats were not generally recognized as safe and “after the 18th anniversary of the trans fat diet. June 2018 can no longer be added to foods unless a manufacturer can provide convincing scientific evidence that a particular use is safe.” [89] [90] [91] Kummerow said, “Science has won.” [92] In 2012, the Conseil supérieur de la santé published a science policy advisory report on industrially produced trans fats, focusing on the general population.

He recommended that lawmakers ban more than 2g of trans fats per 100g of fat in foods. [18] “We were not only the first African country, but also the first developing country in the world to pass trans fat legislation,” Ntsie said. Switzerland followed the Danish ban on trans fats and implemented its ban in April 2008. [42] In 2011, Parliament mandated the government to immediately introduce legislation prohibiting the use of industrially produced trans fats in food, but the legislation has not been implemented since 2017. [40] [41] The regulations also state that any product labelled as “trans fat free” must contain less than one gram of trans fat per 100 grams. From 2 April 2021, food for EU consumers must contain less than 2 g of industrial trans fatty acids per 100 g of fat. [27] The Australian federal government has indicated that it intends to actively pursue a policy to reduce trans fats from fast food. Former Deputy Health Minister Christopher Pyne has called on fast food outlets to reduce their consumption of trans fats. A draft plan was submitted with a timeline for September 2007 to reduce reliance on trans and saturated fats. [15] The following major fast food chain menus and product lines are free of artificial trans fats (i.e., less than 0.5 g per serving): Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Girl Scout Cookies, KFC (eliminated from all cookies except macaroni and cheese, cookies and chicken cakes in 2007, the remainder in 2009[102]), McDonald`s, Burger King and Wendy`s have significantly reduced partially hydrogenated oils (with artificial trans fats) in their foods; Most of the remaining trans fats occur naturally, in the form of about one gram per 1/4 pound of hamburger patty and smaller amounts in fatty dairy products like cheese, butter and cream.

Natural trans fats make the baconator 2.5 grams, for example. Large French fries from a large chain typically had about 6 grams until about 2007, which some of the above food chains eliminated by switching to trans fat-free cooking oil. [103] [104] [105] [106] [107] [108] [109] [110] [111] “South Africa`s success in reducing trans fats is very important,” said WHO`s Dr Branca. “Restrictions on industrially produced trans fats are often weaker in low- and middle-income countries. South Africa`s experience can help other countries take action so that the benefits are also felt around the world. In 2007, the American Heart Association launched its “Face the Fats” campaign to educate the public about the negative effects of trans fats. [85] In a lawsuit filed in 2004, Health Canada finally banned partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the main source of industrially produced trans fats in foods, in September 2018. It wasn`t until the 1990s that researchers discovered how trans fats raised bad cholesterol (LDL) and lowered good cholesterol (HDL), which increased the risk of coronary heart disease. The problem with the hydrogenation process is that an unsaturated fat behaves more like a saturated fat with all the resulting health problems.

Practicality of legislation Concerns were expressed about the practicality of the restrictions and the country`s ability to implement them. “Surveillance presents challenges for a number of reasons,” says DietDoc. “The Ministry of Health will already be overburdened when it comes to monitoring the application of the new labelling requirements, so this additional legislation could put even greater pressure on their resources (such as inspectors, etc.). Available labs will also be under pressure to perform all testing for the new labelling requirements, so additional testing for trans fats can take a relatively long time. MacKenzie adds: “Any law means absolutely nothing if it is not enforced. You will need a specialized laboratory (read “expensive”) to measure the low trans fat content of foods, which is now specified. This is not a simple “random” test that can be done on site by a city inspector. “On the positive side,” says DietDoc, “most major food manufacturers have already reduced the trans fat content of their foods. It`s the smaller manufacturers who may not be able to afford tests that struggle to meet the requirements. In addition, foods imported from countries that do not have trans fat legislation are also likely to be a problem. MacKenzie believes the new South African legislation is inappropriate and costly, as there was no quantitative evidence initially presented by the Department of Health to justify the need for legislation or explain how restricting trans fats would actually improve consumers` diets and therefore their health. Mandatory food labelling for trans fats has been introduced in several countries.

[3] Campaigns have been launched by activists to raise awareness of the issue and change the practices of food manufacturers. [4] In January 2007, in light of the prospect of a complete ban on the sale of their product, Crisco was reformulated to meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) definition of “zero grams of trans fat per serving” (which is less than one gram per tablespoon, or up to 7% by weight; or less than 0.5 grams per serving)[5][6][7][8] by increasing saturation, then diluting the resulting solid fat with unsaturated fats. Vegetable oils. Some trans fats occur naturally in meat or dairy products, but the new regulations apply to trans fats that are artificially produced by a chemical process of partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil to convert it into a semi-solid substance such as margarine. Read more: Ministry of Health bans trans fats Confused about fats? The Big Truth About Discovered Fats New York`s Albany County has banned trans fats. The ban was adopted after a unanimous vote by the Landtag on 14 May 2007. The decision was made after New York City`s decision, but no plan was implemented. Lawmakers received a letter from Rick J. Sampson, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, urging them to “postpone any action on this matter until the full effects of the New York City ban are known.” The U.S.

Girl Scouts announced in November 2006 that all of their cookies contain less than 0.5 g of trans fat per serving, meeting or exceeding FDA guidelines for “zero trans fats.” [116] Packaged bakery products still contain high levels of trans fats. [117] The American Public Health Association adopted a new policy statement on trans fats in 2007. These new guidelines, entitled “Restricting Trans Fats in the Food Supply,” recommend that the government require nutrition labelling of trans fats on all commercial food products. They also call on federal, state and local governments to ban and monitor the use of trans fats in restaurants. In addition, APHA recommends the sale and availability of foods containing significant amounts of trans fats in public places such as universities, prisons, daycares, etc. to be banned. [57] “There have been technological developments in the food industry and fat manufacturers have succeeded in developing techniques to mix unsaturated and saturated fats to achieve the same functional properties previously produced [by trans fats],” he said.