By Charlene Tebbutt

Move away from trans fats creates opportunities for canola growers

May 15, 2018 | 8:00 AM

The World Health Organization is urging manufacturers to end the use of trans fats in processed foods, saying eliminating trans fats is key to saving lives.

The WHO released a new guide Monday, which calls for the elimination of trans fats from the global food supply, saying an estimated 500,000 people die each year from cardiovascular diseases which can be linked to eating trans-fatty acids.

Trans fats, or partially-hydrogenated oils, are found in many processed foods, such as snack foods, and baked or fried goods. The WHO said trans fats were first introduced into foods in the early 20th century as a replacement for butter, and became popular between the 1950s and 1970s. According to the WHO, trans fats can be replaced in foods without affecting either taste or cost.

Last year, Health Canada announced manufacturers will have until September to remove trans fats from their products. The United States Food and Drug Administration has also labelled trans fats as harmful.

As the industry begins to move away from trans fats, the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission said producers in Saskatchewan are seeing more opportunities.

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“Canola is a really healthy oil,” Executive Director Janice Tranberg said. “It actually has the lowest amounts of saturated fats and a really nice mix of polyunsaturated fats, so I think there’s a great opportunity to replace some of those fats that are being eliminated.”

Tranberg said Canada already exports 90 per cent of its canola production around the world, and canola is a crop that already gets a good return on investment for Saskatchewan.

“If there’s more opportunity to sell more, that provides them with more opportunity to grow,” Tranberg added.

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt