The European Heart Network (EHN) congratulates the European Parliament for adopting a Resolution on trans fatty acids (TFAs). EHN supports the European Parliament’s call on the European Commission to establish an EU legal limit on industrial TFAs and that as soon as possible.
TFAs are a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases, which is the leading cause of death in the EU. For every 2% energy of TFA consumption, the risk of heart attack or death from heart disease is increased by about 25% (more than any other macronutrient compared on a per-calorie basis).
Four EU Member States already have mandatory limits industrially produced trans fatty acids. In the European Commission’s own words: the existing situation on industrial trans fats hampers the effective functioning of the Internal Market, negatively affects the protection of consumers’ health and contributes to the perpetuation of health inequalities.
Says Susanne Lá¸gstrup, EHN Director: “We could not put it any better and we urge the European Commission to undertake a “light-version” impact assessment to speed up the process”.
For more information on EHN’s position on trans fats and heart disease, please click here.
Click here for the text of the adopted resolution on the European Parliament website.