Canada: Trans fat rules rejected as burden on food industry

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq is standing firm Tuesday on taking a voluntary approach with the food industry on trans fat, even though newly released documents show her department was ready to impose regulations in 2009.

Documents obtained by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest show Health Canada had prepared an entire communications plan, news releases and briefing notes for Aglukkaq to announce the food industry would face regulations to limit the amount of trans fat in products after being given two years to do it voluntarily.

"We intend to regulate the levels of trans fat in the Canadian food supply to protect all Canadians from high trans fat intakes and to ensure there is a level playing field for industry,"a question period note for Aglukkaq that was prepared in September 2009 said. Another document showed the government intended to publish proposed regulations in the spring of 2010.

A draft news release said Canada has made "significant progress"toward reducing trans fat levels through the industry's voluntary efforts, "however some foods still contain more trans fat than is acceptable."Aglukkaq was going to announce that the proposed regulations would limit the trans fat content of vegetable oils and soft, spreadable margarines to two per cent of the total fat content and all other foods to five per cent.

But the announcement was never made and the plan for regulations appears to have been abandoned.