Key Points
- Industrial trans fats are mostly found in cheap, fried and ultra-processed foods.
- Australia remains one of the few high-income nations without mandatory regulation of industrial trans fats.
- Nutritionists say there are alternatives to these harmful ingredients.
Potentially harmful ingredients are being found in products on supermarket shelves, researchers say, and Australian labelling laws mean they don't have to be disclosed to shoppers.
Thousands of packaged food products on supermarket shelves could still contain industrial trans fats (ITFs) — which are linked to heart attack, stroke, and premature death — despite international efforts to eliminate what have been labelled "incredibly toxic" ingredients from the food supply.
Researchers at the Sydney-based George Institute for Global Health are calling for Australia to join countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom in limiting the use of ITFs in food products — something the Department of Health says it is considering.
Their calls stem from an analysis of over 28,000 packaged foods and drinks from major supermarkets. It found just four listed partially hydrogenated oils, the main source of ITFs, while about one in seven contained generic vegetable oils where processing details were unclear.
Of 561 products that reported trans fat levels, 181 exceeded the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended 2 per cent limit of total fat content, according to the institute's analysis. And among the 336 products likely to contain only industrial trans fats, 104 exceeded the limit.
"This study shows that dangerous trans fats are still lurking in our food supply — and consumers have no way of knowing," lead author Dr Damian Maganja from the George Institute for Global Health told SBS News.
What are industrial trans fats?
Industrial trans fats, created by turning liquid vegetable oils into solid fats, are most commonly found in cheap, fried and ultra-processed foods, Maganja explained.
It is estimated that ITFs contribute to around 500,000 early deaths from heart disease worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
While some trans fats can naturally occur in meat and dairy foods, a process called hydrogenation, in which hydrogen is added to vegetable oils, creates ITFs.
Maganja said of ITFs: "They only cause harm. They're incredibly toxic."
He said they are usually found in ultra-processed foods like some margarines, pastries, and popcorn.
Trans fats are used in food products as they can extend an item's shelf life and are cheaper to produce than other oils and butter, he explained.
'No health benefit'
Dr Evangeline Mantzioris, the program director for the Bachelor of Nutrition and Food Sciences at the University of South Australia, explained the health risks of trans fats.
"Trans fats are in ultra-processed foods, which also means these foods are most likely also high in sugar and salt and other fats — a deadly combination," she told SBS News.
"Trans fats have no health benefit."
Mantzioris said that trans fats are also bad for cholesterol health, and if people have pre-existing cardiovascular disease, either treated or untreated, it will worsen their health.
Professor Helen Truby, a nutrition expert at the University of Queensland and Monash University, told SBS that naturally occurring trans fats can also be harmful.
"Trans fats are found naturally in some animal fats but regardless of their source have a similar impact on your health," she said.
"Important to note that trans fats are also created in cooking processes when some seed oils such as corn oil are repeatedly heated to high temperature: for example, if they are being used in commercial deep frying."
Calls to regulate ITFs
Australia remains one of the few high-income nations without mandatory regulation of ITFs, and the WHO has a campaign calling to end their use worldwide.
The United States banned partially hydrogenated oils from its list of safe ingredients in 2015, and in 2019 the European Union introduced a mandatory 2 per cent limit on trans fats in food products.
Maganja would like Australia to follow suit.
"Relying on the food industry to voluntarily reduce harmful ingredients isn’t working in Australia. To truly protect public health, we need mandatory regulation," he said.
"A full ban on this single ingredient would offer the strongest level of health protection, be easier to implement and enforce, and align Australia with international best practice."
He said that setting a mandatory national trans fat limit of no more than 2 per cent of total fats would be in line with WHO guidelines.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the Australia-New Zealand Food Regulation System was currently considering restrictions on the use of industrially-produced trans fats in processed foods."
A survey of selected foods and cost-benefit analysis are in progress, with advice expected to be provided to food ministers in 2026," the spokesperson said.
What are the alternatives to trans fats?
Maganja said that products that contain these oils can be made in ways that don’t involve ultra-processing and ITFs.
"People have been making meat pies for a very long time before having access to hydrogenated oils, and they somehow still managed to sell them," he said.
Truby said there are alternatives to ITFs and naturally occurring trans fats.
"If you are looking to buy an oil, then monounsaturated fats from olive oil are better for your health. Using oils from polyunsaturated sources such as sunflower, canola, or soybean are useful for dressings or cooking and baking at lower temperatures," she said.
"Whole foods such as avocados, fish and nuts are also healthier choices for those trying to avoid trans fats."
Mantzioris said to look for products that contain less than 0.1 grams of trans fats per serve of product.
"Ideally, your total intake of trans fats should be less than 1 per cent of your total energy intake, that is about less than 2.2 grams per day."
The information in this article is for general information purposes only and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers are advised to consult a qualified health professional for guidance specific to their situation.
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