Demi
Tue, Oct-17-06, 02:45
The Daily Telegraph
Lodnon, UK
17 October, 2006
Potentially harmful trans fats are being cut from around £1.5 billion worth of food products (in the UK), the industry said yesterday. It follows concerns over their links to increased cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease.
Hundreds of well-known brands are being reformulated to eliminate trans fats, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents manufacturers. These include foods such as Horlicks, Mars bars, Hob Nobs and Weetabix.
Trans fats are made from a vegetable oil base and are used as an ingredient in processed foods.
The FDF polled 20 leading food and drink manufacturers asking about their position on trans fats. Of those, 11 companies came back with details while the other nine either had no trans fats in their products or did not release details.
Based on those responses, the FDF has put a retail value of £1.5 billion on the products being reformulated.
Julian Hunt, the FDF communications director, said many companies had "dramatically" cut trans fats over the past two years. "The industry is committed to reducing the level of trans fats to as low as is technically possible and has been actively reducing these levels," he said.
A report in the British Medical Journal published earlier this year called for trans fat content levels to be shown on product labels.
Alex Callaghan, policy officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "It's good to see some food manufacturers and retailers committing to reducing trans fats from their products.
"But until they are completely removed we can only take manufacturers' word for it that these levels are being reduced, since most continue to refuse to label trans fats on their products."
The BHF wants trans fat levels on food labels to be made compulsory.Trans fats 'to be cut from £1.5bn of products'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/17/nfat17.xml
Lodnon, UK
17 October, 2006
Potentially harmful trans fats are being cut from around £1.5 billion worth of food products (in the UK), the industry said yesterday. It follows concerns over their links to increased cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease.
Hundreds of well-known brands are being reformulated to eliminate trans fats, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents manufacturers. These include foods such as Horlicks, Mars bars, Hob Nobs and Weetabix.
Trans fats are made from a vegetable oil base and are used as an ingredient in processed foods.
The FDF polled 20 leading food and drink manufacturers asking about their position on trans fats. Of those, 11 companies came back with details while the other nine either had no trans fats in their products or did not release details.
Based on those responses, the FDF has put a retail value of £1.5 billion on the products being reformulated.
Julian Hunt, the FDF communications director, said many companies had "dramatically" cut trans fats over the past two years. "The industry is committed to reducing the level of trans fats to as low as is technically possible and has been actively reducing these levels," he said.
A report in the British Medical Journal published earlier this year called for trans fat content levels to be shown on product labels.
Alex Callaghan, policy officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "It's good to see some food manufacturers and retailers committing to reducing trans fats from their products.
"But until they are completely removed we can only take manufacturers' word for it that these levels are being reduced, since most continue to refuse to label trans fats on their products."
The BHF wants trans fat levels on food labels to be made compulsory.Trans fats 'to be cut from £1.5bn of products'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/17/nfat17.xml