Some contemptibly call it “food nannyism,” but others just call it sensible. On January 1, Calgary became the first city in Canada to limit the amount of notoriously unhealthy trans fats served by restaurants.
The Calgary Health Region’s (CHR) new policy says trans fats in margarines and margarine-based spreads, as well as fats and oils used for preparing food, can’t exceed two per cent of the product’s total fat content. “The research suggests there is no safe level of consumption of trans fat, and there are still restaurants that are using products with trans fat content as high as 42 per cent,” says Dr. Brent Friesen, the CHR’s medical officer of health. “That is an unacceptable health risk.” Research shows trans fats increase the risk of heart disease.
Even though some restaurants rely heavily on trans fat, the CHR says most have switched to healthier alternatives. The region surveyed more than 400 local food permit holders and found most had already switched to oils that meet the new guidelines. Two-thirds already use acceptable spreads, says the CHR.
In mid-2009, the CHR will bring in the next phase of its ban, which will forbid restaurants from storing or serving any food that has more than five per cent of its total fat as trans fats. The CHR’s regulations are in line with a Health Canada task force’s recommendations to phase out the unhealthy fat across the country. Even without regulations, trans fat consumption has been going downwards. Canadians’ consumption of trans fats has declined by 40 per cent over the past decade, according to Health Canada.
The National Post called Calgary’s new rules “food nannyism” and argued “government bureaucracies should not decide what people eat.” However, several U.S. jurisdictions, including New York City, have put similar limits on trans fats. And on the same day Calgary’s trans fat regulations came into effect, a county in the state of Maryland started enforcing similar rules.