The Canadian diet just got a little bit healthier thanks to a ban announced by the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health.
The Minister announced on Friday, September 15th that Health Canada is banning partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), in all food sold in Canada.
PHOs are the main source of industrially produced trans fats, which raise our bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.
Yves Savoie, Chief Executive Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada says that this is an “important final step” to eliminating trans fats from our diet, and will reduce the number of heart attacks in Canada.
According to Savoie, trans fats are high in baked goods and other foods often consumed by children and other “vulnerable populations.”
Health Canada hopes to help lower the risk of heart disease in Canadians through the ban by reducing trans fats in the food supply at the “lowest level possible.”
"As Minister of Health, I am pleased to deliver on our Government's commitment to promote public health and make it easier for all Canadians to choose healthier foods,” said Taylor. “Eliminating the main source of industrially produced trans fat from the food supply is a major accomplishment and a strong new measure that will help to protect the health of Canadians."
The ban includes both domestically produced and imported products and foods, as well as those that are prepared and served in restaurants and food service establishments.
The ban will come into force on September 15th, 2018, to give the food industry enough time to find suitable alternatives.
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