Globe and Mail - December 31, 2007 - By Dawn Walton
CALGARY - That quick hit of greasy food to ease the New Year's Day hangover will come with an unexpected bonus in Calgary as the city becomes the first in Canada to regulate use of artery-clogging trans fats served in restaurants.
As of Tuesday, city eateries will not be allowed to cook with fats and oils that have more than 2-per-cent trans fats in total fat content. The same rule applies to all margarines and margarine-based spreads served in those outlets.
"That is an unacceptable health risk," Dr. Friesen told reporters, noting that cutting consumption of trans fats can help reduce the incidence of heart disease by 6 to 22 per cent, depending on what it is replaced with.
But the downside to the switch was a 20-per-cent higher price tag than the old-fashioned trans-fat-laden vegetable shortening, Ms. Derowin added.
The Calgary Health Region surveyed 400 food permit holders in the city and found the majority had already swapped the bad oils for better ones and two-thirds were using spreads that were in line with the new rules.
New York City has gone even further and was the first jurisdiction in the United States to implement an outright ban on trans fats from its restaurants. It recently found 94-per-cent compliance.
Keywords - Healthy Eating, Trans Fat, Obesity,
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Rick Kaselj - rkaselj@HealingThroughMovement.com
Healing Through Movement - www.HealingThroughMovement.com
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