Nationwide product reformulations to reduce trans fatty acids in Canada: when trans fat goes out, what goes in?
Abstract
The impact of recent efforts to reduce the content of industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFA) in foods has not been systematically assessed in any country. Concerns exist that food manufacturers/restaurants may replace TFA with saturated fat acids (SFA), rather than cis unsaturated fats, or increase the total fat content. We present findings from a national systematic assessment of grocery and restaurant foods likely to contain TFA in Canada in 2005-2007. Of the total of 221 assessed products, 92 (42%) contained TFA (> or = 5% of fatty acids) on initial assessment. Of an unselected sample assessed more than once, 72% were reformulated during 2005-2007: mean+/-s.d. TFA levels decreased from 26+/-13 to 2+/-4%. Following reformulation, one product had similar TFA+SFA content; all others had decreased TFA+SFA and increased cis unsaturated fat content. The total fat content was generally unaffected. The findings suggest that manufacturers/restaurants generally take advantage of costs and efforts of reformulation to not only reduce TFA but also increase the content of cis unsaturated fats.
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Contemporaneous with mandates to add trans fat content to food labels in Canada and the United States, many products were reformulated by industry to reduce or eliminate trans fat.
“Contemporaneous with mandates to add trans fat content to food labels in Canada and the United States, many products were reformulated by industry to reduce or eliminate trans fat.125,126”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [125]
The impact of labeling per se, versus increased consumer and media attention surrounding the policy change or other factors, cannot be differentiated; in both studies, many food products served at restaurants that did not require labeling were also reformulated.
“The impact of the labeling per se, versus increased consumer and media attention surrounding the policy change or other factors, cannot be differentiated; for example, in both of these studies, many food products served at restaurants that did not require labeling were also reformulated.125,126”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [125]
Some evidence from natural experiments suggests that front-of-pack icons and nutrient labels may influence industry behavior by leading to product reformulations.
“Some evidence from natural experiments suggests that front-of-pack icons and nutrient labels may influence industry behavior by leading to product reformulations.”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [125]
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Mozaffarian, D., Afshin, A., Benowitz, N. L., Bittner, V., Daniels, S. R., Franch, H. A., Jacobs, D. R., Kraus, W. E., Kris-Etherton, P. M., Krummel, D. A., et al. (2012) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/cir.0b013e318260a20b · Cited by 601 · see citing works
Self-citationCholesterol Control Beyond the Clinic: New York City's Trans Fat Restriction
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Self-citationDietary Policies to Reduce Non‐Communicable Diseases
Afshin, A., Micha, R., Khatibzadeh, S., Schmidt, L. A., & Mozaffarian, D. (2014) · The Handbook of Global Health Policy · doi:10.1002/9781118509623.ch9 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Self-citationA survey of the reformulation of Australian child-oriented food products
Savio, S., Mehta, K., Udell, T., & Coveney, J. (2013) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-836 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
- Authors
- Ratnayake, W. M. N., L'Abbe, M. R., & Mozaffarian, D.
- Affiliations
- Health Canada (CA)
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mozaffarian, D
- ORCID
- Mozaffarian, D
- Venue
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Published
- 2008-07-02
- Volume
- 63
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 808-811
- ISSN
- 0954-3007 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-5640
- OpenAlex
- W2067135552
- Cited by
- 93
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 4.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (1k08hl075628-01)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (K08-HL-075628)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
- Keywords
- trans fatty acids, food reformulation, saturated fatty acids, total fat content, restaurant food, food manufacturers, Canada
- MeSH terms
- Canada, Dietary Fats, Fatty Acids, Fatty Acids, Unsaturated, Food Analysis, Humans, Restaurants, Food Industry, Trans Fatty Acids
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