Re: The Right To Supersize, editorial, May 17. You rightly identified me as actively trying to eliminate trans-fatty acids from our food supply as other countries are doing. My efforts are based on the premise that it is not OK to put poison in our food even if it is properly labelled. And let there be no question about it, trans fats are toxic and poisonous. There is no safe level of trans fat. One gram per day increases the risk of heart disease by 20%. Canadians eat an average of 10 grams per day. One medium order of McDonald's fries contains five. It is true that I accused McDonalds of poisoning another generation of children by stealth and misrepresentation when it appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health. I did so because McDonald's very publicly advertised that it was eliminating or drastically reducing trans fats in their products by February, 2003, then it did nothing. Its trans fat announcement was covered by numerous media outlets, yet McDonald's fries and other products remain just as laden with this toxic garbage as ever. The firm has let people believe its products are healthier choices when in actual fact they are not. While I agree that a healthy diet is mostly a matter of education and personal choice, the state has a role to play to ensure the foods we eat are safe. Trans-fatty acids are toxic by any definition of the word and must be eliminated from our food. Pat Martin MP, Winnipeg Centre, Winnipeg.
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