New Democrat MP Pat Martin called on the Liberal government yesterday to eliminate trans-fatty acids from processed food. "There's no place in Canada's food supply for toxic poison," Mr. Martin said. He claimed the government's plan requiring food companies to rewrite labels by 2005 simply doesn't work because the majority of Canadians don't read labels and those who do don't understand them. "What they're saying is that it's all right to put poison in our food as long as it's properly labeled," he said. Mr. Martin tabled a private member's bill yesterday, modeled on legislation recently introduced in Denmark, which would limit trans fats to no more than 2% of total fats in processed food and give manufacturers two years to replace trans fats with healthier oils. Mr. Martin said an outright ban is not possible because there are trace levels of trans-fatty acids in food that occur naturally. He said the elimination of trans fats will result in cost savings. "Instead of spending millions to fix people once they're broken, we should intervene now," he said. Research has shown that consuming one gram of trans fats daily can increase the risk of heart disease by 20%. The recommended daily intake of trans fats is zero, but on average, Canadians eat about 10 grams a day. "We're on a collision course for a major public health disaster," Mr. Martin said. Trans fats found in food are manufactured oils created by bubbling hydrogen gas through vegetable oil at high temperatures. Known as the silent killer, they increase the risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease and contribute to the rise in obesity. Besides increasing bad cholesterol in the blood, trans-fatty acids have also been shown to interfere with good cholesterol that helps rid the body of excess cholesterol. Trans fats are found in packaged food, fast food and snacks, such as cookies and chips, french fries and microwave popcorn.
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