Trans fatty acids won't be banned, Minister says The Liberal government is allowing "toxic garbage in our food" by refusing to ban trans fatty acids, NDP MP Pat Martin told the House of Commons yesterday.

"Instead of banning trans fats as other countries have, the Liberal government says it is okay to put this poison in our foods as long as it is clearly labelled," Mr. Martin said in Question Period. The NDP is calling on Ottawa to ban trans fatty acids, dangerous fats found in fast food and other snacks.

"Why does our Health Minister not stand up for our public health and take concrete steps now to eliminate this toxic garbage from our food?" Mr. Martin asked.

Health Minister Anne McLellan said the federal government will not ban trans fatty acids but will instead move to mandatory labelling of foods that contain them.

"We know that trans fat is an ingredient in our food that the public needs to know about," she told Parliament. "They need to know how much trans fat they are consuming. They need to know the risks of trans fat and that is why we are requiring mandatory nutritional labelling. And when our labelling is in full force and effect, we will have the best, science-based nutritional labelling of any country in the world."

Critics say Canada is lagging behind on regulating dangerous fats found in many snacks. The labelling regulations do not take effect for more than two years.

Ms. McLellan "really skirted the main issue," Mr. Martin said outside the House. "We know now that these trans fats are really, really bad for you and especially bad for our children, and rather than taking concrete steps to eliminate them from our food chain, she says that labelling would be satisfactory. So it's okay to put poison in our food so long as it's adequately labelled."

Trans fats, also known as hydrogenated vegetable oil, are found in many snacks, processed foods and fast foods -- including everything from microwave popcorn to frozen waffles and McDonald's hamburgers. Lab tests commissioned by The Globe and Mail found high levels in many popular children's snacks.

Nutrition experts have called for trans fatty acids to be banned because researchers have found that even low levels of the fats carry high health risks. One gram daily can increase the risk of heart disease by 20 per cent. The average Canadian consumes about 10 grams daily.

Denmark has adopted legislation that limits trans fats to no more than 2 per cent of total fats in processed foods. That is a negligible quantity that amounts to a de facto ban on trans fats.