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Dangerously high levels of trans fats were found in 19 Hong Kong baked goods by the Consumer Council. Photo: Roy Issa
Opinion
Editorial
by SCMP Editorial
Editorial
by SCMP Editorial

Step on the accelerator to speed up legislation on trans fats

  • The lack of binding regulations means the public is at the mercy of food manufacturers
SCMP Editorial
SCMP Editorial
Why you can trust SCMP
That some of our local savouries are loaded with trans fats and other unhealthy ingredients is just an unappetising fact that food lovers have to live with. The government, despite repeated warnings, has opted only for guidelines instead of legislative control. This is why as many as one quarter of the cakes and pastries tested by the city’s consumer watchdog was founded to have excessive trans fat.

The findings should not come as a surprise, though. A test by the Consumer Council in 2012 yielded similar results. But this time, the levels of trans fats in an egg tart and a chicken pie from two Hong Kong style cafes showed significant increases from those in the previous test. The findings sit oddly with those in another test on school lunchboxes by the Centre for Health Protection and the Centre for Food Safety last year. The nutrient levels, such as saturated fats, trans fats and sugar, had fallen below the upper recommended limits in most of the 100 samples collected from 26 primary schools.

The discrepancies show that there is no guarantee when it comes to what goes into our food. The lack of legislation means the public is at the mercy of food manufacturers. There is no shortage of scientific proof that trans fats raise the risk of coronary heart disease. Studies in the United States showed that a ban on trans fats would help prevent 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths a year. Yet the ingredient is widely used in processed food items to enhance texture and taste, and to prolong shelf life. Consumers are therefore exposed to dangerous choices.

This city’s legislature passed a non-binding motion in favour of a ban as early as 2007. But the government opted for a law mandating nutrition labelling on packaged food, along with guidelines aimed at encouraging the industry to reduce the use of trans fats in food manufacturing. But subsequent tests have shown that little has changed.

Countries such as Denmark have long outlawed trans fats in food processing. Our government has also been monitoring the international trend, although no action has been taken so far. Officials say they are still actively studying overseas legislation. The latest findings should help speed up the deliberations.

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