The presence of hydrogenated oil on an ingredient list is no longer an indication that the product contains trans fats, according to a survey of 100 pre-packaged foods on Irish supermarket shelves.
Hydrogenated oils are a common source of trans fats and consumers have in the past been advised that hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil was a handy indicator of the presence of trans fats.
"It is clear from the FSAI survey that this is not a consistent way for consumers to see if trans fats are in their foods or not," according to Dr Wayne Anderson from the FSAI.
Although the survey found that dried gravies and soups containing hydrogenated oils had the highest concentrations of trans fats, 67 per cent of products declaring hydrogenated oils as an ingredient were actually low in trans fats.
The use of trans fat reducing technologies may be a contributing factor to the low trans fat concentrations, according to the FSAI.
This finding heightens the need for mandatory labelling of trans fats on packaged foods, according to the FSAI, which has already called on the EU to amend its decision not to include trans fats in proposed food labelling legislation.
The FSAI is currently undertaking a similar fat-profile review of food on fast-food outlet menus. The findings of both studies will be presented to the European Commission in support of its call for amendment to food labelling legislation.
Consumers should be in a position to make informed choices and the labelling of trans fats on products would help that choice, added Anderson.