Approaches to removing trans fats from the food supply in industrialized and developing countries

A number of approaches have been initiated by governmental and public health organizations in different countries to reduce trans-fatty acid (TFA) intakes. These have included nutrition recommendations with regard to TFAs and general nutrition recommendations regarding the selection of healthy fats, programmes to raise awareness about the adverse effects of TFAs through nutrition and health claims, voluntary or mandatory labelling of the trans content of foods, voluntary or legislated programmes to encourage or force industry to reformulate food products to remove TFAs, the promotion of health and agricultural policies that encourage the production of healthy alternatives to trans fat and finally, mandatory regulation of food standards to remove or reduce the TFA content. This paper reviews a number of initiatives to reduce the intake of TFAs underway in selected industrialized and developing countries, which serves to illustrate the merits and limitations of the available options and how the approaches that have been taken reflect local conditions.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Approaches to removing trans fats from the food supply in industrialized and developing countries

A number of approaches have been initiated by governmental and public health organizations in different countries to reduce trans-fatty acid (TFA) intakes. These have included nutrition recommendations with regard to TFAs and general nutrition recommendations regarding the selection of healthy fats, programmes to raise awareness about the adverse effects of TFAs through nutrition and health claims, voluntary or mandatory labelling of the trans content of foods, voluntary or legislated programmes to encourage or force industry to reformulate food products to remove TFAs, the promotion of health and agricultural policies that encourage the production of healthy alternatives to trans fat and finally, mandatory regulation of food standards to remove or reduce the TFA content. This paper reviews a number of initiatives to reduce the intake of TFAs underway in selected industrialized and developing countries, which serves to illustrate the merits and limitations of the available options and how the approaches that have been taken reflect local conditions.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

A proposed approach to monitor private-sector policies and practices related to food environments, obesity and non-communicable disease prevention

Private-sector organizations play a critical role in shaping the food environments of individuals and populations. However, there is currently very limited independent monitoring of private-sector actions related to food environments. This paper reviews previous efforts to monitor the private sector in this area, and outlines a proposed approach to monitor private-sector policies and practices related to food environments, and their influence on obesity and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention. A step-wise approach to data collection is recommended, in which the first (‘minimal’) step is the collation of publicly available food and nutrition-related policies of selected private-sector organizations. The second (‘expanded’) step assesses the nutritional composition of each organization’s products, their promotions to children, their labelling practices, and the accessibility, availability and affordability of their products. The third (‘optimal’) step includes data on other commercial activities that may influence food environments, such as political lobbying and corporate philanthropy. The proposed approach will be further developed and piloted in countries of varying size and income levels. There is potential for this approach to enable national and international benchmarking of private-sector policies and practices, and to inform efforts to hold the private sector to account for their role in obesity and NCD prevention

WHO scientific update on trans fatty acids: Summary and conclusions

The purpose of the WHO scientific review on trans fatty acids (TFAs) was to examine the evidence generated since the 1993 Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Fats and Oils in Human Nutrition, and to inform member countries on the health consequences of TFAs consumption that have emerged since the last report was released. The new information was deemed sufficient to recommend the need to significantly reduce or to virtually eliminate industrially produced TFA from the food supply in agreement with the implementation of the 2004 WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. This goal has been accomplished in some countries and cities, by the virtual elimination of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in the human food supply, replacing them with healthy cis-unsaturated fatty acids. The document provides the evidence base to promote discussion between the international scientific community related to nutrition and health as well as between agriculturalists, food producers, relevant health professionals, national and international food regulatory agencies, civil society and the private sector to achieve the stated goal.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Approaches to removing trans fats from the food supply in industrialized and developing countries

A number of approaches have been initiated by governmental and public health organizations in different countries to reduce trans-fatty acid (TFA) intakes. These have included nutrition recommendations with regard to TFAs and general nutrition recommendations regarding the selection of healthy fats, programmes to raise awareness about the adverse effects of TFAs through nutrition and health claims, voluntary or mandatory labelling of the trans content of foods, voluntary or legislated programmes to encourage or force industry to reformulate food products to remove TFAs, the promotion of health and agricultural policies that encourage the production of healthy alternatives to trans fat and finally, mandatory regulation of food standards to remove or reduce the TFA content. This paper reviews a number of initiatives to reduce the intake of TFAs underway in selected industrialized and developing countries, which serves to illustrate the merits and limitations of the available options and how the approaches that have been taken reflect local conditions.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Shape analysis of the nasal complex among South African groups from CBCT scans

Three-dimensional (3D) anatomical extraction techniques could help the forensic anthropologist in a precise and inclusive assessment of biological phenotypes for the development of facial reconstruction methods. In this research, the nose morphology and the underlying hard tissue of two South African populations were studied. To this end, a 3D computer-assisted approach based on an automated landmarking workflow was used to generate relevant 3D anatomical components, and shape discrepancies were investigated using a data set of 200 cone-beam computer tomography (CBCT) scans. The anatomical landmarks were placed on the external nose and the mid-facial skeleton (the nasal bones, the anterior nasal aperture, the zygoma, and the maxilla). Shape differences related to population affinity, sex, age, and size were statistically evaluated and visualised using geometric morphometric methods. Population affinity, sexual dimorphism, age, and size affect the nasal complex morphology. Shape variation in the mid-facial region was significantly influenced by population affinity, emphasising that shape variability was specific to the two population groups, along with the expression of sexual dimorphism and the effect of ageing. In addition, nasal complex shape and correlations vary greatly between white and black South Africans, highlighting a need for reliable population-specific 3D statistical nose prediction algorithms. Significance: • 3D anatomical structures were acquired and extracted from 200 CBCT scans of modern South Africans. • Geometric morphometric methods were applied. • Soft- and hard-tissue nasal complex morphology vary across South African groups

Inverse Association between trans Isomeric and Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Pregnant Women and Their Newborns: Data from Three European Countries

Background: trans unsaturated fatty acids are thought to interfere with essential fatty acid metabolism. To extend our knowledge of this phenomenon, we investigated the relationship between trans isomeric and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) in mothers during pregnancy and in their infants at birth. Methods: Fatty acid composition of erythrocyte phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was determined in Spanish (n = 120), German (n = 78) and Hungarian (n = 43) women at the 20th and 30th week of gestation, at delivery and in their newborns. Results: At the 20th week of gestation, the sum of trans fatty acids in PE was significantly (p < 0.01) lower in Hungarian [0.73 (0.51), % wt/wt, median (IQR)] than in Spanish [1.42 (1.36)] and German [1.30 (1.21)] women. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) values in PE were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in Hungarian {[}5.65 (2.09)] than in Spanish [4.37 (2.60)] or German [4.39 (3.3.2)] women. The sum of trans fatty acids significantly inversely correlated to DHA in PCs in Spanish (r = -0.37, p < 0.001), German (n = -0.77, p < 0.001) and Hungarian (r = -0.35, p < 0.05) women, and in PEs in Spanish (r = -0.67, p < 0.001) and German (r = -0.71, p < 0.001), but not in Hungarian (r = -0.02) women. Significant inverse correlations were seen between trans fatty acids and DHA in PEs at the 30th week of gestation (n = 241, r = -0.52, p < 0.001), at delivery (n = 241, r = -0.40, p < 0.001) and in cord lipids (n = 218, r = -0.28, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Because humans cannot synthesize trans isomeric fatty acids, the data obtained in the present study support the concept that high maternal trans isomeric fatty acid intake may interfere with the availability of LCPUFA both for the mother and the fetus. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

WHO scientific update on trans fatty acids: Summary and conclusions

The purpose of the WHO scientific review on trans fatty acids (TFAs) was to examine the evidence generated since the 1993 Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Fats and Oils in Human Nutrition, and to inform member countries on the health consequences of TFAs consumption that have emerged since the last report was released. The new information was deemed sufficient to recommend the need to significantly reduce or to virtually eliminate industrially produced TFA from the food supply in agreement with the implementation of the 2004 WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. This goal has been accomplished in some countries and cities, by the virtual elimination of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in the human food supply, replacing them with healthy cis-unsaturated fatty acids. The document provides the evidence base to promote discussion between the international scientific community related to nutrition and health as well as between agriculturalists, food producers, relevant health professionals, national and international food regulatory agencies, civil society and the private sector to achieve the stated goal.Facultad de Ciencias Médica