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

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