Calls for trans fats labelling

Consumer magazine Health Which? has called for more industry action on trans fats because of the link to coronary heart disease. Suppliers of hydrogenated oils also want new labelling.

Sue Freeman, acting editor of Health Which? says: "The food industry isn't taking the issue seriously enough. Labelling must be improved to provide consumers with more information about trans fats."

The fats, which are found naturally in some foods such as meat but which are also created when oils are hydrogenated, have been shown to have a greater artery clogging effect than saturated fats. Hydrogenation raises the melting point and extends the shelf-life of oils, making them ideal for use in products such as burgers, biscuits, cakes and confectionery.

The US, which uses more hydrogenated oils than Europe, has introduced a regulation which states that from 2006 trans fats in products must be labelled on the nutritional panel.

The European Food Safety Authority, however, said in September that while the artery- clogging effect of trans fats may be greater than that of saturated fat, intakes are around 10 times lower, so the authorities should concentrate on advising consumers to reduce saturates in the diet.

Now, the European Federation for Seed Crushers and Oil Processors (Fediol) has complained that existing labelling rules under Directive 2000/13/EC, which require the word hydrogenated to be used on labels, means some oils are wrongly discriminated against.

It says hydrogenated oils are widely blamed for trans fats, yet fully hydrogenated products contain hardly any trans fats, whereas partial hydrogenation can lead to trans fats. The term hydrogenated in the ingredient list is misleading, it says, as it does not specify the degree of hydrogenation. It wants voluntary indication of trans fats and saturates content.