The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has welcomed FDA's decision to ban industrial trans fats. FDA has stated that trans fatty acids (TFA) are unsafe for consumption and has provided a three-year compliance period to allow industries to gradually phase out processed food. It is expected that this measure will help reduce cardiovascular disease and will help prevent thousands of heart attacks every year.
ESC has now called upon European policy makers to follow the same path and bring forward EU-wide regulation to address the issue of trans fats. TFAs are considered to be the most harmful fat, recognised to cause cardiovascular disease (CVD). The primary source of artificial trasnfats in the food supply are partially hydrogenated oils, one of the most used source of fat in commercial bakery products.
TFAs raise LDL cholesterol levels in the blood which increases the risk of developing heart disease. It is now an established fact that TFAs have a detrimental effect on heart health and mortality.
Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death in Europe. Nearly 4 million deaths occur as a result of CVD in Europe and approximately 1.9 million deaths in the European Union. 47 percent of all deaths in Europe and 40 percent of deaths in the European Union are caused by CVD.
TFA intake in Eastern and South Eastern Europe is quite high causing an increase in the European CVD burden. ESC believes that measures to limit TFA intake and the accumulated knowledge on differential consumption of TFA across Europe can be achieved through regulatory intervention so that citizens across the EU can reduce their intake of TFA.
Source: The European Society of Cardiology
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
