MLA joins crusade against trans fats

Cape Breton Nova MLA Gordie Gosse wants Nova Scotians to help him get highly unhealthy trans fats banned in Canada.

On Thursday, Mr. Gosse issued a news release calling on Health Promotion Minister Rodney MacDonald to encourage Nova Scotians to sign a petition for a trans fat ban initiated by NDP MP Pat Martin of Manitoba (www.patmartin.ca).

"It would be a healthier population in this country if it was a total ban," Mr. Gosse, the New Democrat health promotion critic, said Thursday.

"I put out the press release . . . to see if people would sign up to remove this."

Mr. Martin's website says "petitioners call upon Parliament to eliminate trans fats from Canada's food supply."

By Thursday afternoon, 128 people had signed the petition, posted Dec. 12.

Health Canada has deemed any level of trans fat unsafe. A daily intake of one gram is thought to increase the risk of heart disease by 20 per cent. Trans fat is considered a contributing factor in cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Some of the more common sources of trans fat are fast food, cake and pancake mixes, doughnuts, cookies and muffins, peanut butter that isn't fresh-ground, frozen entrees, french fries, margarine, fruit roll-ups, pizza pockets and microwave popcorn.

Despite his position on the ban, Mr. Gosse admits he takes his nine-year-old son Daniel to McDonald's about twice a month. He's also a smoker.

But the rookie MLA said he's made healthy changes to his lifestyle since becoming health promotion critic. He does not drink, is eating more vegetables and has promised his caucus he'll quit smoking by the next legislative session.

Mr. Gosse wasn't clear how a ban would work but thinks there must be a way.

"Realistically, it's a possibility, but it would take an effort of industry and government to do that. It's not going to happen right away."

Asked if a ban could be seen as government intruding on people's right to do unwise things, he said people already have no choice when it comes to using trans fat.

"It's a personal choice if you buy a pack of cigarettes, but when you have to have margarine for your toast or margarine in cooking and that, that's something that's a necessity."

Mr. Gosse also wants food products containing trans fats to be better labelled.

Mr. MacDonald said Thursday he wouldn't encourage anyone to sign the petition, nor would he discourage people from signing.

"That's up to the individual."

He said promoting healthy eating is part of his responsibilities. His office just hired a healthy-eating co-ordinator who will soon start informing students about smart eating.

He wants to do more research before supporting or rejecting a ban but noted he supports Health Canada's move to push for better labels on foods with trans fats.

Some European countries have legislated strict limits on trans fats. Trans fats are made when liquid oils are hydrogenated to remain stable in heat and have a longer shelf life. The process alters the oils' chemical composition.