Canadian food industry reducing levels of trans fats in foods

• Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC) supports the recommendations in the Interim Report of the Federal Government's Trans Fat Task Force released today by Health Canada.
• The Canadian food manufacturing industry recognizes that many Canadians are concerned about the presence of trans fat in food products and companies are actively engaged in reducing trans fat.
• "Our member companies have been working on reformulating products to eliminate trans fat for several years and many have already launched new trans fat-free products," says Nancy Croitoru, FCPC President & CEO. FCPC is representing the food manufacturing industry on the multistakeholder Task Force that is working to develop recommendations and strategies for reducing trans fat in Canadian foods to the lowest level possible.
• Significant industry research is underway to find healthier replacements for partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are a major source of trans fat.
• As part of its involvement in the Trans Fat Task Force, the food manufacturing industry has partnered with Health Canada to conduct needed research, which will be used in developing the final recommendations for the introduction and widespread use of healthy alternatives to trans fat.
• Canada's food manufacturing industry is also helping Canadians make healthier food choices by providing information.
• Many companies have already changed their product labels to include the new Nutrition Facts information, which includes the amount of trans fat in a product.
• This is well in advance of the government's December 12th, 2005 deadline for large manufacturers and 2007 deadline for small manufacturers with less than one million dollars in sales.
• The food industry is a proud supporter of Healthy Eating is in Store For You, a nutrition labelling education program developed by Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Diabetes Association.
• To further assist consumers in maintaining a healthy diet, many products carry the newly approved health claim: "A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats may reduce the risk of heart disease.