Aussie study of trans fats in packaged food products

An analysis by The George Institute for Global Health of over 28,000 packaged foods and drinks from major supermarkets using the FoodSwitch Composition Database* found that while only four products explicitly listed partially hydrogenated oils — the main source of industrial trans fats (iTFAs) — more than 4200 products (15%) contained ingredients such as generic vegetable oils, where the processing method and inclusion of industrial trans fats was not disclosed.

The study, which has been published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, examined ingredient lists and nutrition labels from major supermarket chains including Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, IGA and Harris Farm.

Of 561 products that potentially contained industrial trans fats (including those with natural sources) and voluntarily reported trans fat content, 181 (32%) exceeded the World Health Organization’s (WHO's) recommended limit of 2% of total fat to reduce heart disease risk. Among the 336 products that only contained potential industrial trans fats, 104 (31%) exceeded the limit.

While trans fatty acids (TFAs) occur naturally in some foods, iTFAs are generated during industrial processing of edible oils into solid fats. Most commonly found in fried and ultra-processed foods, iTFAs have been associated with some health risks.

Lead author and Research Fellow at The George Institute Dr Damian Maganja said the findings add weight to the global push to eliminate iTFAs from the food supply.

“Australian labelling laws don’t require companies to state whether oils are partially hydrogenated or list trans fat content — making it almost impossible to assess how widespread the issue really is,” he said.

Call for action

Australia and New Zealand remain among the few high-income countries without mandatory measures to reduce or eliminate iTFAs from the food supply.  In 2015, the USA banned partially hydrogenated oils from its list of safe ingredients, and in 2019 the EU introduced a mandatory 2% limit on trans fats in food products.

Researchers are calling on the Australian and State and Territory governments to introduce strong measures to eliminate industrial trans fats from the food supply — either through a complete ban of the use of partially hydrogenated oils in all foods, or by setting a mandatory national trans fat limit of no more than 2% of total fats, in line with WHO guidelines.

_{* The FoodSwitch Composition Database is a continuously updated resource containing detailed nutritional data on packaged foods, reflecting 25-30% annual product turnover. It supports research, policy-making, and clinical nutrition by enabling analysis of food environments and guiding healthier dietary choices through digital tools.}

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