Brussels, 03/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Union ought to set legal limits for industrial trans fatty acids (TFA), says the European Commission in a long-awaited report published on Thursday 3 December.
These unsaturated fatty acids, known to cause cardiovascular diseases, are contained in many industrially produced foods, such as cakes, chips and margarines.
In its “preliminary” report, the Commission suggests that setting limits would be the most effective measure in terms of public health, consumer protection and compatibility with the single market. The Commission makes clear, however, that “the way in which such a legal limit could be technically put into practice would require further investigation”. Given that foods with a high TFA content are widely available in the EU, the Commission argues that “there are public health gains to be reaped by reducing intake”. The Commission report has been awaited since December 2014, as was provided for in the 2011 European regulation on information to consumers on foodstuffs (Regulation 1169/2011). The European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC), which for years has been calling on the Commission to bring in legislation banning TFA or at least setting a TFA content of 2g per 100 grams of fat, has welcomed the recommendation (see EUROPE 11411). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)