A survey shows that 43% of the Taiwanese people support a ban on artificial trans fat.
The survey released on Sunday was conducted by the Health Promotion Administration in March. The survey results came after the US Food and Drug Administration announced in June that it will ban all use of artificial trans fat in three years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also set a goal to stop all use of trans fat around the world by 2025. Excessive consumption of trans fat may lead to higher risks of cardiovascular diseases.
Taiwan has yet not banned the use of artificial trans fat in food products, but mandatory labeling has been in place since 2008. However, the Health Promotion Administration survey found that less than half of the consumers look at labels.
An official with the Health Promotion Administration, Chen Miao-hsin, said trans fat can be found in a large variety of foods, such as fried chicken, instant noodles, coffee creamers, and baked products. She said not all types of food are required to be labelled, so it is difficult for people to know whether the product contains trans fat or not. She also said the administration supports the WHO’s policy and hopes to remove artificial trans fat in food products.