Denmark an Example After Transfat Ban

Two years ago Denmark declared war on killer fat, making it illegal for any food to have more than 2 percent transfats. Offenders now face hefty fines _ or even prison terms. The result? Today hardly anyone notices the difference.

The french fries are still crispy. The pastries are still scrumptious. And the fried chicken is still tasty.

Denmark's experience offers a hopeful example for places like Canada and the U.S. state of New York, which are considering setting limits on the dangerous artery-clogging fats.

Transfatty acids are typically added to processed foods such as cookies, margarine and fast food. They are cheaper to produce than mono-saturated fats, and give a longer shelf life to the foods they are added to.

Producers also argue that removing transfat from processed food will change certain tastes and textures beloved by consumers.

But they have been called the tobacco of the nutrition world. They lower good cholesterol while raising bad cholesterol.

Even consuming less than five grams of transfat _ the amount found in one piece of fried chicken and a side of french fries _ a day has been linked with a 25 percent increased risk of heart disease.

"No other fat at these low levels of intake, has such harmful effects," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist at Harvard's School of Public Health.

It is still too early to tell if removing transfat from food in Denmark has improved the country's health.

Although the Danish health ministry reports that cardiovascular disease has dropped by 20 percent in the last five years, similar reductions have been reported in other countries that are making an effort to combat heart disease by measures such as regulating the food and tobacco industries, and by educating the public about the need to exercise. In countries that are making no effort to regulate the amount of transfat in food, such as Hungary and Bulgaria, heart disease rates have continued to climb.

Denmark is the only country to have outlawed the fat, passing a law in June 2003 that made it illegal for any food to contain more than two percent of transfat.

For Danes like Troels Nyborg Andersen, the government's decision means he feels less guilty about his fast-food habit.

"I know transfats are bad, but you don't think about that when you're hungry," said the 27-year-old Copenhagen native, chomping a hamburger. "It's good that the Danish government got rid of transfats so that I don't have to worry about it."

"We wanted to protect people so that they would not even have to know what transfat was," said Dr. Steen Stender, one of the leading Danish experts who lobbied for the anti-transfat law.

Though obesity rates are rising in Denmark, they are far below those of most countries: just 11.4 percent of the Danish population was obese in 2005, less than half of Britain's obesity rate, estimated at 23 percent.

When faced with the prospect of a transfat ban, industries typically rebel. Other countries in the European Union initially objected to Denmark's ban, arguing it would be economically unfair since their foods could not be legally imported into Denmark.

Many producers were also concerned about the possible change in texture and taste without the additives.

Preserving the delicacy of the traditional Danish pastries was a major concern at Copenhagen's famed La Glace cafe, renowned for its pastries and cakes. When the transfat law kicked in, its bakers began experimenting.

"There was a bit of a crisis," admitted Marianne Stagetorn Kolos, La Glace's owner.

The first attempts were disastrous. The transfat-free margarines melted too soon, destroying the flakiness of the 81-layered pastries.

"Everything was flat," Stagetorn said. Luckily, the problem was solved by switching margarine suppliers.

The pastries "taste just as good as they always did," said the 59- year-old sales assistant, who favors the raspberry pastry. "If it wasn't for the law, I never would have known that there wasn't any transfat."

Stender and other health experts say Denmark's transfat ban should be adopted worldwide.

"There's no reason it cannot be done elsewhere," he said, explaining that the food in Denmark is not markedly different from food anywhere else. "If you removed transfat from the planet, the only people who would feel the difference are the people who sell the transfat."

Denmark leads the way in banning killer fat
Copenhagen, Oct 18. (AP): Two years ago, Denmark declared war on killer fat, making it illegal for any food to have more than two percent transfats. Offenders now face hefty fines -- or even prison terms.

The result? Today, hardly anyone notices the difference. The french fries are still crispy. The pastries are still scrumptious. And the fried chicken is still tasty.

Denmark's experience offers a hopeful example for places like Canada and New York City, which are considering setting limits on the dangerous artery-clogging fats.

Transfatty acids are typically added to processed foods such as cookies, margarine and fast food. They are cheaper to produce than mono-saturated fats, and give a longer shelf life to the foods they are added to.

Producers also argue that removing transfat from processed food will change certain tastes and textures beloved by consumers.

But they have been called the tobacco of the nutrition world. They lower good cholesterol while raising bad cholesterol.

Even consuming less than five grams of transfat -- the amount found in one piece of fried chicken and a side of french fries -- a day has been linked with a 25 percent increased risk of heart disease.

"No other fat at these low levels of intake, has such harmful effects," said Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist at Harvard's School of Public Health.

It is still too early to tell if removing transfat from food in Denmark has improved the country's health.

Although the Danish Health Ministry reports that the cardiovascular disease has dropped by 20 percent in the last five years, similar reductions have been reported in other countries that are making an effort to combat heart disease by measures such as regulating the food and tobacco industries, and by educating the public about the need to exercise.

In countries that are making no effort to regulate the amount of transfat in food, such as Hungary and Bulgaria, heart disease rates have continued to climb.

Denmark is the only country to have outlawed the fat, passing a law in June 2003 that came into effect in 2004, making it illegal for any food to contain more than two per cent of transfat.

For Danes like Troels Nyborg Andersen, the Government's decision means he feels less guilty about his fast-food habit.

"I know transfats are bad, but you don't think about that when you're hungry," said the 27-year-old Copnhagen native, chomping a hamburger. "It's good that the Danish Government got rid of transfats so that I don't have to worry about it."

That was the rationale that motivated the transfat ban.

"We wanted to protect people so that they would not even have to know what transfat was," said Steen Sender, one of the leading Danish experts who lobbid for the anti-transfat law.

Though obesity rates are rising in Denmark they are far below those of most countries: just 11.4 per cent of the Danish population was obese in 2005, less tan half of Britain’s obesity rate, estimated at 23 percent.

No, I am saying the government should regulate the content of foods sold to the public, which is within its power under Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution.

That's regulating commerce amongst the states, what if the food is produced and sold within the state? It doesn't pass state lines so the commerce can't be regulated.

Because I am a conservative. Are you for free will and choice when it comes to prostitution, drugs, and pornography?

Oops, you mean you're a Republican (someone who uses government to enforce a Republican view of social conservatism) when there's no prohibition of prostitution, drugs or pornography in the US Constitution.

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