Canada Bans Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Government organization Health Canada announced a ban last month on the use of partially hydrogenated oils in foods across the country. Starting September 15, 2018, restaurants, food-service companies, and product manufacturers can no longer use the heart-damaging oil—the primary source of trans fat in foods—to prolong the shelf-life of foods. Canadian nonprofit Heart & Stroke Foundation has advocated for the ban since 2006, and Canadian researchers predict that eliminating trans fat from the Canadian food supply chain will prevent 12,000 heart attacks in the country during the next two decades. Many processed foods contain hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils—including some vegan snacks—and removing the harmful substance from the food supply will make vegan snacking more heart-healthy. In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration announced a similar ban of the harmful oils from United States food supplies with a compliance deadline of June 18, 2018.