4 September 2007
Consumers being forced to play trans fat lottery
It is welcome news that the New Zealand Food Safety Authority has finally met with the takeaway industry to discuss
measures to reduce trans fatty acids in takeaways, but without mandatory labeling on other foodstuffs New Zealanders
will still not know if they are eating this dangerous fat, the Green Party says.
"Consumption of this artificially-produced fat has been linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease and all over
the world authorities are recommending reducing intake," Green Party Heath Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says.
"However, in New Zealand consumers are being hamstrung in their efforts to follow this advice and avoid this fat by the
lack of mandatory labeling that identifies trans fat content."
The recent report of the Health Select Committee inquiry into obesity and type 2 diabetes recommended that labeling on
all packaged food should identify levels of trans fatty acids as they do now for saturated fats.
"It's just not good enough that New Zealand consumers are being forced to play a lottery and guess which foods don't
contain trans fats and which do."
ENDS