Updating of French data on trans fatty acids

In 2005, a report of the French Agency for Public health and Food (AFSSA) had concluded that certain groups of the French population were likely to consume too many trans fatty acids. Calculations were based on relatively old consumption studies and products compositions. However, to protect consumers, food industry had previously started well before this date to improve these technological processes to reduce the contents of trans fatty-acids in food. The French Institute of Nutrition (IFN) decided in November 2007 to set up a working group in charge of a progress report on trans fatty-acids. The group decided to collect data on the level of trans fatty acids in products currently present in the linear of retailers. More than 600 products were evaluated. The results clearly show that today in France, the quantity of trans fatty-acids is negligible in 96% of these products (lower than 1 g/100 g of product, as recommended by AFSSA).