Trans Fats in the Canadian Diet
The average daily intake in trans fat among Canadian adults is estimated at 8.4 g, or 3.7% of total energy. However, certain individuals eat as much as 39 g, while others eat as little as 0.3 g.1
Canadians’ main source of trans fat is not margarine (it contributes to only 11% of total trans fat intake) but rather processed foods—baked goods, snacks and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated fats and oils.2-5
The contribution from dairy products to the total trans fat content of the average Canadian diet is relatively minor.2 In fact, the trans fats in processed foods provide 4 times more trans fats in the average daily Canadian diet than dairy and meat products containing naturally occurring trans fats.6 Intake of ruminant trans fat appears to remain relatively stable over time, while intake of industrial trans fat does not.6
| Amount of total fat and trans fat in various food items7* | |||
| Food | Serving Size | Total Fat (g/serving) | Trans Fat (g/serving) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donut, glazed and cream filled† | 1 donut (90 g) | 21,0 | 6,0 |
| Soft wafers | ~ 5 wafers (32 g) | 7,7 | 2,6 |
| Chocolate chip cookies | ~ 2 cookies (32 g) | 5,9 | 1,4 |
| Crackers | ~ 5 crackers (13 g) | 3,5 | 1,1 |
| Shortening, hydrogenated soybean/cottonseed oil | ~ 1c. tbsp (13 g) | 13,8 | 1,6 |
| Butter5 | 2 tsp (10 g) | 8,2 | 0,3 |
| Soft margarine made from hydrogenated soybean oil | 2 tsp (10 g) | 8,2 | 1,7 |
| 2% milk5 | 250 ml (1 cup) | 5,0 | 0,2 |
| Ground beef, lean, raw† | 75 g | 10,3 | 0,4 |
* The amount of trans fat varies according to the quantity and type of fat used in the manufacturing process.8
† Corporate information.
References
- Ratnayake WHN and Chen ZY. Trans fatty acids in Canadian breast milk and diet. In: Development and Processing of Vegetable Oils for Human Nutrition. R Przybylski and BE McDonald (eds.). Ch. 3:20-35. Champaign, IL: AOCS Press, 1995.
- Ratnayake WMN et al. Trans fatty acids in Canadian margarines: recent trends. JAOCS 1998;75:1587-1594.
- Chen ZY et al. Similar distribution of trans fatty acid isomers in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and adipose tissue of Canadians. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 1995;73:718-723.
- Ratnayake WMN et al. Fatty acids in some common food items in Canada. J Am Coll Nutr 1993;12:651-660.
- Dairy Management Inc.™ Web site of the American Dairy Association®, the National Dairy Council®, and the U.S. Dairy Export Council®. Accessed August 2005: www.dairyinfo.com.
- Food and Drug Administration (USA), Federal Register, Proposed Rules 2003;68(133):41507-41510.
- Satchithanandan S et al. Trans, saturated and unsaturated fat in foods in the United States prior to mandatory trans-fat labeling. Lipids 2004;39:11-18.
- Innis SM et al. Variability in the trans fatty acid content of foods within a food category: implications for estimation of dietary trans fatty acids intakes. J Am Coll Nutr 1999;18:255-260.
Keywords: trans fat
Nutrients in Milk Products Keywords
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