Health Canada welcomes final report from Trans Fat Task Force

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Health Canada welcomes final report from Trans Fat Task Force

OTTAWA - The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, today welcomed the release of the final report of the Trans Fat Task Force and committed to review its recommendations. The task force, which was made up of representatives from government, industry and the public, was formed in 2005 to provide guidance on how to reduce the trans fat content of foods sold in Canada.

"I welcome this comprehensive report and will review it very carefully as I believe Canadians will want to know what it means for their health," said Minister Clement. "Health Canada has already taken steps to help Canadians reduce their trans fat consumption following the interim report by the task force."

Health Canada has worked closely with industry to help Canadians make informed decisions about the foods they consume. Since December 12, 2005, new nutrition labelling regulations require most pre-packaged food to identify the content of 13 core nutrients, including trans fat.

Health Canada will be working over the coming months with other federal departments and agencies to assess the recommendations made by the task force and determine how they can best be addressed.

Trans fats are formed during partial hydrogenation, a process used by the food industry to harden and stabilize liquid vegetable oils. The majority of the trans fats in our diet are industrially produced and typically found in foods made with partially hydrogenated oil, primarily hard margarines, and baked goods and fried foods. Trans fats also occur naturally at low levels in foods such as dairy products, beef and lamb.

For more information, please see the Government of Canada's initiatives to address trans fats.