The European Society of Cardiology has welcomed the FDA decision “to remove artificial trans fat from the food supply” and has called upon European policy makers to urgently bring forward EU-wide regulation to address this important health issue.
“TFAs are widely recognized as the most harmful fat with regard to causing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Partially hydrogenated oils are the major source of artificial trans fats in the food supply. They are the most often used source of fat in commercial bakery products.
TFAs raise the level of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood. An elevated LDL cholesterol level in the blood increases the risk of developing heart disease. The detrimental effects of TFAs on heart health and mortality are now beyond dispute,” according to a ESC press release.
Based on the effects on cardiovascular health of TFA intake; the positive experiences from different interventions to limit TFA intake and the accumulated knowledge on differential consumption of TFAs across Europe, the European Society of Cardiology believes that a regulatory intervention is necessary to ensure that all EU citizens can effectively reduce their TFA intake.