PAHO Calls for "Trans Fat Free Americas"

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is spearheading an initiative to eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids from foods in the Americas.

A special "Trans Fat Free Americas" expert task force convened by PAHO/WHO endorsed the goal in May, saying that a reduction of trans fat consumption by just 2 percent to 4 percent of total calories could prevent up to 225,000 heart attacks in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"This is something that can be done by major food producers in a matter of months or at most a couple of years," said task force chairman Ricardo Uauy, president of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences and professor of public health nutrition at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "It's being done by several food companies already."

PAHO convened a meeting with major food industry representatives in September to present the task force's findings and to discuss cooperative efforts to implement its recommendations. Participating companies included Burger King Corporation, Cargill Inc., ConMéxico (Consejo Mexicano de la Industria de Productos de Consumo, A.C.), Grupo ARCOR, Kraft Foods, Kellogg Company, McDonald's Corporation, Nestlé, PepsiCo, SADIA SA, Watt's SA, and Yum! Brands, Inc.

The Trans Fat Free Americas Task Force cited scientific evidence that consuming trans fats increases the risk of heart disease and possibly the risk of sudden cardiac death and diabetes. Consuming trans fats raises levels of "bad (LDL) cholesterol" while lowering levels of "good (HDL) cholesterol" and damaging the cells in the linings of blood vessels, which contributes to inflammation and blockage and leads to heart attacks.

Although trans fats occur naturally in small amounts in unprocessed foods, they are primarily found in baked and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Partial hydrogenation is favored by food processors because it gives oils better texture and longer shelf life.

But concerns about the negative health effects of trans fats have led to actions by both industry and governments to reduce their presence in foods. Last year, Denmark passed legislation limiting trans fats to 2 percent of total fat in all foods sold in the country. Canada and the United States now both require labeling of trans fat in processed foods and recommend that consumers reduce trans fat consumption to as little as possible. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Uruguay are all currently considering proposals to reduce trans fat consumption by their populations.

In the food industry, companies including Mc Donald's, Unilever, and Kraft Foods have voluntarily reduced trans fats in their products and eliminated them altogether in certain countries. In Argentina and Brazil, a number of local food companies have begun to switch from partially hydrogenated oils to non-hydrogenated unsaturated oils. In Costa Rica and Uruguay, local vegetable oil producers have voluntarily begun producing and marketing healthier oils.

To speed progress, the PAHO/WHO task force made the following recommendations:

• Industrially produced trans fat should be eliminated from food supplies in the Americas, with unsaturated fats promoted as an alternative.
• This will require government regulatory action in addition to voluntary action by industry.
• Trans fat should be limited through regulatory action to less than 2 percent of total fat in vegetable oils and soft margarines and to less than 5 percent in other foods.
• Governments should consider mandatory labeling of trans fat content in foods, the establishment of standards for product health claims, and mandatory disclosure of types of fats in foods served in restaurants, food aid programs, schools, and other food service providers.
• Public health advocates should work with the food industry to set a timetable for phasing out industrial trans fatty acids and to promote healthier oils and fats in foods.
• Governments should support small food industries and services in their efforts to eliminate trans fats and adopt healthier alternatives.
• PAHO/WHO should lead hemispheric efforts toward a Trans Fat Free Americas by giving it high priority on the regional health agenda and by helping member countries develop policies, regulations, and legislation needed to implement the initiative and measure its progress.

PAHO is seeking funding for a series of activities to implement the recommendations of the Trans Fat Free Americas Task Force, to support monitoring and evaluation of consumption and sources of trans fat in the PAHO region, and for a series of training workshops for regulatory officials.

The full report of the Trans Fat Free Americas Task Force is available online (PDF format).