Canada has implemented a ban on artificial trans fats products that will come into effect this week. The date signifies a whole year passing after the federal government announced that they will be ending the use of these products by the Canadian public. To be more specific, the ban prohibits the addition of partially hydrogenated oils or PHO’s to all food that is sold in restaurants and super markets.
These oils have been present in baked goods for years as it is an effective way to increase the product’s shelf life. Fried food such as french fries also use these oils to help cook the products. The federal government issued a ban on these oils as research has shown that these oils consistently raise bad cholesterol and reduce the good cholesterol in the body. The excessive consumption of products with high trans fats had be reported to be responsible for thousands of heart attacks in Canada every year.
The companies that produce these foods know the dangers of these oils to the point that the food industry has been gradually fazing them out for years. However, in all this time the federal government has not issued a ban. Instead of a ban in the past, the federal government demanded appropriate labeling onto all processed food so that the public knows what they are ingesting.
While companies have been gradually fazing these oils out, imports from other countries will lose a considerable amount of revenue if they don’t adhere to the new laws. It seems that if processed food imports are to continue into Canada they are also going to have to follow the new ban set in place by the federal government.
