The fast food sector has shown improvement in its use of heart-clogging trans fats, but many margarine and pastry producers still receive a failing grade according to an analysis of a new report from Health Canada.
The latest results from the federal government's Trans Fat Monitoring Program were released Monday morning at an Ottawa Swiss Chalet by Steven Fletcher, parliamentary secretary to the minister of health.
The findings show that the chicken chain itself has reduced trans fat levels in its French fries, which contain just over a gram per serving.
Cannomon Coombs, Swiss Chalet's corporate chef, said the chain has changed how it cooks food. For example, it is now using lower fat canola oil to cook fried foods, Coombs told Â鶹´«Ã½.
Other companies that reported low trans fat readings in some of their foods included Country Style, which sells a marble chocolate coated donut with only 0.6 grams of trans fat. A chocolate donut from Tim Horton's also contained just 0.6 grams of trans fat.
The government has called on the food industry to voluntarily meet the following targets by end of 2009:
- A trans fat limit of 2 per cent of the total fat content for all vegetable oils and soft, spreadable margarine;
- A trans fat limit of 5 per cent of the total fat content for all other foods, including ingredients sold to restaurants.
Fletcher painted the results as good news and proof that the government's monitoring program is working.
"What we are seeing here is a good example of industry taking responsibility and meeting the demands of the marketplace," Fletcher said. "People are demanding healthier food."
This is the second set of data from the monitoring program to be issued, and focused on fast food chains and family restaurants across the country.
"Many, many of our restaurants are doing a fantastic job and if you look at the data you see the progress that's been made across the board and across the country," Ron Reaman of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association told Â鶹´«Ã½.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada said the new data shows things are getting better, but there's still a long way to go.
Stephen Samis, of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, said McDonald's, Burger King and Swiss Chalet have made major improvements in the past year, significantly cutting their trans fat levels.
Last year Burger King was listed as one of the worst offenders.
"After the first set of data they sent us a letter saying the were committed to bringing their trans fat levels down and they have done that," Samis told Â鶹´«Ã½net. "McDonald's has also done well. There are still a few issues within the sector but by and large we really do commend the entire sector for making a lot of progress in only a year, year and a half."
A spokesperson from Burger King told Â鶹´«Ã½ on Monday that the chain would bring its trans fat levels to within the government's guidelines by the end of this year.
However, many soft margarines still contain unacceptably -- and unnecessarily -- high levels of trans fat, though some companies have proven that it is possible to reduce levels.
While some soft margarine companies have almost completely eliminated trans fat, others are still in the 30 per cent range -- a level he said is completely unacceptable.
"It demonstrates a lack of will, not a lack of ability," Samis said.
And amongst hard margarines, trans fat levels are almost always too high, Samis said.
The Canadian food industry has been given two years to reduce trans fats content in foods. In the meantime, the monitoring program is releasing its results every six months. The first results were released in December 2007.
At the end of the two year period, if levels are not brought within acceptable standards, the government has indicated it will bring in regulations to virtually eliminate trans fats in Canadian foods.
According to the Foundation, trans fats raise so-called "bad" cholesterol (LDL) levels and lowers "good" cholesterol (HDL) levels and as a result, increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Canadians are among the highest trans fats and saturated fat consumers in the world.
Registered dietitian Elke Sengmueller told Â鶹´«Ã½net on Monday that Canadians can avoid trans fats by reading the nutrition labels on packaged foods.
"The other place is to look in the ingredient section and look for hydrogenated oil, partially hydrogenated oil or shortening," Sengmueller said in Toronto. "Those are your three clues that trans fats are lurking in the product."
The Heart and Stroke Foundation also recommends the following steps to avoid the harmful effects of trans fats:
- Prepare meals at home and eat as much fresh food as possible.
- Eat five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
- Eat lower-fat products.
- Include items from the four food groups in your daily diet.
