You are what you eat the saying goes and, if it is to be believed, most South Africans are unhealthy. But, while some may indulge in junk food, others may unknowingly be eating food laden with trans fats, which clog arteries and reduce the “good cholesterol” that helps unclog them, thus increasing the risk of heart disease.
That is set to change with new regulations by the Department of Health that will regulate the total trans fat content of food items to 2 percent or less. Published in the Government Gazette on February 17, they will come into effect on August 17.
They prohibit the sale, manufacture and import of oils and fats containing partially hydrogenated fats and oils (trans fats) in processed foods, including oils and fats used in catering establishments, to 2g per 100g. Products claiming to be trans fat-free should contain less than 1g of trans fats per 100g.
This follows trends in countries including Denmark, which have completely banned trans fats, while others including the US, UK, Switzerland and Canada strictly regulate the trans fat content in food.
But what exactly are trans fats and which food products contain them?
Registered dietician Jenny Meyer said the food industry used a process called hydrogenation, by which oils which were normally liquid at room temperature were altered to become more solid.
“This is done to make the liquid into a more stable solid fat that can be heated and reheated numerous times for commercial use, as it extends the shelf life of the product. It doesn’t deteriorate as quickly as the liquid product.
“During this hydrogenation process, trans fatty acids are formed, which behave like saturated fats in the body and can have a detrimental effect on health,” she said.
She said a high intake of trans fatty acids was associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Major sources of trans fats are hard brick margarines, shortening (the fat that is used for baking such as lard, butter or margarine), commercial frying fats in fast-food outlets, and in many pre-prepared and processed foods such as biscuits, crackers, cakes, doughnuts, microwave popcorn, pastries, processed meats and potato crisps. It is also found in commercially deep-fried foods, such as chips, and crumbed or fried fish and chicken, when trans fats are added to oil.
Fidel Hadebe, spokesman for the national Department of Health, said the decision to regulate the use of trans fats in South Africa was based on global trends. He said they were working closely with international agencies, including the World Health Organisation, around food and food safety.
For some, however, the legislation is long overdue.
Kenn Reeves, a cancer patient in remission, started noticing the high levels of partially hydrogenated fats in food when he decided to start eating more healthily. He recently took on major retailers who were mislabelling imitation cream items as fresh cream – and won, forcing them to label their products honestly.
“It’s infuriating that South Africa has lagged so far behind the world in addressing trans fats. Why did it take so long to legislate when trans fats have been hidden in various edible foods and products advertised as healthy?” he said.
He said it was worrying that during the hydrogenation process, a host of chemicals were added to make it edible.
He had no faith, he said, in this legislation being monitored and enforced.
Hadebe said, however, they were preparing the industry to increase compliance.
“While we cannot claim to have enough capacity to enforce such regulations, they are supposed to be self-enforcing, so that the industry makes an effort to comply,” he said.
“The intention is simple. We are strengthening our fight against diseases, especially cardio-vascular disease, that are caused by such trans fats. Our expectation is that major retailers will support such an initiative and while there may be challenges with small operators, through awareness even they can change. At the end of the day, it’s about the consumers and their health.”
Erika Ketterer, head of research and programme development at the Heart and Stroke Foundation, supports the move.
She encouraged people to consume trans fat-free products, or those with the Heart Foundation endorsement.
“We use different criteria depending on the product, looking at saturated fat, cholesterol, salt and added sugar content.
“There is a difference between saturated (animal fats and certain vegetable products such as coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil) and trans fats. Trans fats are worse, as they increase the bad cholesterol in your body and lower your good cholesterol.”
Major retailers – who were given six months to comply with the regulation – are ready.
Sarita van Wyk, of Shoprite Checkers, said local suppliers worked within the regulatory framework when dealing with Shoprite.
“Imported products that do not meet the 2 percent maximum for industrially produced trans fats will be removed from our ranges by the deadline.”
David Tedder, owner of Bread Ahead, said they were putting measures in place in their nine stores to ensure they complied with the new law.
He said they had had to replace certain products.
Zyda Rylands, Woolworths managing director of food, said they were aware of the regulation on trans fatty acids.
She said these occurred naturally in some foods, particularly animal-based foods such as dairy products and meat.
“Woolworths has moved away from man-made trans fats, by removing partially hydrogenated vegetable fats and oils from our products, and is already compliant with the new requirements. We identify trans-fat content on our product labels to help customers make informed choices.”