Journal Article

Dietary intakes of trans fatty acids before the prohibition of partially hydrogenated oils in Canada

Rondeau, Isabelle, Martineau, Chantal, Manley, Lindsay, Daoust, Janice, Hopperton, Kathryn, Demonty, Isabelle, Wang, Kuan Chiao

2025

Overview

Purpose Canada’s public health objective is that ≥ 90% of the population consume <1% of total energy (< 1%En) as trans fatty acids (TFA), in line with World Health Organization recommendations. Our study aimed to estimate usual intakes of total TFA, industrially-produced TFA (i-TFA), and naturally occurring TFA (n-TFA) overall and in subgroups of the population before Canada’s 2018 prohibition on the use of partially hydrogenated oils (PHO) in foods. Methods Data from 1–2 24-h recalls was available for 19,670 participants in the cross-sectional Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)—Nutrition 2015. Usual intakes of total TFA, i-TFA, n-TFA, and mixed TFA (TFA from foods containing both i-TFA and n-TFA) from all foods and beverages were generated according to the National Cancer Institute method, and weighted to represent the population of Canada aged ≥ 1 and within age, sex, income, and self-reported racial groups. Results For the overall population, the mean usual intake of total TFA was 1.2 g/day (SE:0.02) and represented 0.57%En (SE:0.001). All age-sex groups had mean total TFA intakes <1%En, ranging from 0.52 to 0.71%En. On average, foods containing only n-TFA provided >1/2 of total TFA intake (0.32%En, SE:0.01). The target of ≥ 90% of the population consuming <1%En as TFA had already been achieved before the PHO prohibition in all income, racial, and age-sex groups, except children 1–3 years old, with 86% within target. In that group, foods containing only n-TFA provided >2/3 of total TFA intake (0.48%En, SE:0.02). Conclusion Total TFA intakes in Canada before the PHO prohibition were relatively low, likely due to previous initiatives to reduce i-TFA in foods.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult / Aged / Beverages / Canada / Chemistry / Chemistry and Materials Science / Child / Child, Preschool / Cross-Sectional Studies / Diet - methods / Diet - statistics & numerical data / energy / Fatty acids / Female / Food / Food availability / Food intake / health surveys / Humans / Hydrogenation / income / Infant / Male / Middle Aged / Nutrition / Nutrition Surveys - methods / Nutrition Surveys - statistics & numerical data / Original Contribution / Public health / Sex / Trans fats / Trans Fatty Acids - administration & dosage / World Health Organization / Young Adult