The US government recently took serious action against artificial trans fat. Last month, its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) branded trans fat as not "generally recognised as safe". In the next three years, this ingredient must be removed from food available across the country, according to US regulators.
Labelling will enable consumers to be more careful of their diet choices.
In Thailand, however, there is no certain regulation to control the use of artificial trans fat — which is usually found in everything from margarine to cookies and certain types of frozen foods. There is not even a legal protocol requiring food manufacturers to identify the amount of trans fat used in the products.
Anti-ageing and nutrition specialist Dr Jitkae Thepchatre is all for the US's new regulations against trans fat. She strongly wishes that Thailand would do the same.
"I think the Thai FDA must take this issue more seriously; trans fat has no health benefits and should be banned altogether," she commented.
Trans fat, according to Dr Jitkae, is a kind of fat which is sometimes referred to as trans-fatty acids. Some types of meat and diary products contain small amounts of natural trans fat. However, trans fat used in the food industry is mostly artificial — a byproduct of hydrogen being mixed with vegetable oil resulting in the oil becoming a powdery substance at room temperature. Trans fat is used during the industrial process primarily to enable the food to have a longer shelf life.
"Many things we enjoy eating these days contain trans fat," the specialist added. "From cookies, crackers, potato chips, non-dairy creamer, margarine to many types of fast food such as fried chicken and French fries, there is a certain amount of trans fat in it."
Unfortunately, trans fat is found to yield zero health benefits. According to information from Mahidol University's Faculty of Pharmacy, trans fat can lead to the rise of bad cholesterol (LDL) and the fall of good cholesterol (HDL). In the long run, the consumption of a diet with too much trans fat will increase the risk of developing heart and coronary artery diseases.
"There is no recommended amount of trans fat intake per day, whatsoever," the doctor noted. "All I can say is that diets high in trans fat must be avoided. Or if you happen to eat too many potato chips in a day, for instance, you have to also have a diet more rich in fibre including fruits and vegetables so that the trans fat is excreted. This way at least you try to create the right balance in terms of diet choices."
But for Thai consumers, commented the specialist, many times they may find it hard to intentionally refrain from trans fat as there are no official regulations demanding food producers to clarify the amount of trans fat in their product labels. This means when consumers select food from the shelf, even if they read the product labels, they will have no idea how much trans fat they will consume from what they are about to buy.
"The US will completely ban trans fat in the next three years because they are aware of its adverse health impacts. We Thais also realise that this type of fat is detrimental to health. But our country's legal action might not be as fast as that in other countries. So it might take 10 or more years before trans fat is prohibited in Thailand. But in the meantime, if consumers still take it, of course when they are in their 60s or 70s they might probably start to have health issues which are a result of a high trans fat intake," Dr Jitkae explained.
So opting for fresh ingredients is perhaps the best way to go, continued the doctor. For those who find it impossible to bid forever farewell to crispy snacks, baked goods and junk food, eat them in moderation.
Nonetheless, Dr Jitkae believes that the younger generation and forward-thinking people are likely to have greater awareness when it comes to choosing what is healthy for them, thanks to information from numerous media channels.
"Modern people have more diet choices," she commented. "They are introduced to, for example, clean diets, raw food and all that, some of which allows them to eat in a healthier way. Consequently, even though it might take years before the authorities become really concerned about trans fat to the point that they decide to take serious action, I think people will be equipped with more knowledge which in the end will lead to them knowing what is best for their health."
