Posted by kathryn in Fats & oils and Junk Food

I’ve blogged about trans fats before – why they’re bad for us, what foods contain them and how much of a problem they are in Australia. Most Australians don’t eat anywhere near as many trans fats as the US and Canada, however, one of our big sources is fast food.

This week the Assistant Health Minister, Chris Pyne, has met with the fast food industry to discuss the fat content of their foods. Hungry Jack’s, Krispy Kreme, KFC and Pizza Hut have all agreed to cut their use of trans fats, although no specific target has been set. McDonald’s have already virtually eliminated trans from their foods.

While there has been agreement on reducing trans, Yum! Restaurants who own KFC and Pizza Hut, have refused to commit to reducing the saturated fat level of their foods. In 2006, KFC started using a cooking oil based on palm oil, which they have regularly promoted as being low in trans. This is true, however it also contains 52% saturated fat.

Trans fats are a problem. They increase our risk of heart disease, diabetes and are also linked to obesity and liver dysfunction. Trans fats are worse for our health than saturated fats – they have a bigger impact on cardiovascular risk in particular.

However, it’s not progress to be replacing the trans fat content of your foods with a higher level of saturates . Saturated fat is still prevalent in the Australian diet and on average we eat about 30% more than we should be. Saturated fats increase our risk of heart disease, diabetes and so on. Yes, they have less of effect than trans, but they’re still making our health worse.

Even if fast food outlets eliminate trans fats and reduce saturated fats as well, it still doesn’t mean their food is healthy . Their meals are low in vital micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals), there’s still too much fat in total, too much starchy-carbohydrate and generally too much protein. Fast food should be an occasional meal, not an every day choice.

If you do eat at fast food outlets and want to know the best choices to make then look at this and this post.

14 March, 2007