[Greens-Media] Inaction on trans fats costs lives

[John Kaye]

Inaction on trans fats costs lives

Media Release 20 September 2006

Delaying action on regulating trans fats in the Australian diet until 
next year is putting thousands of Australians at risk according to 
Greens NSW spokesperson John Kaye.

Commenting on a story on page 5 of today's Sydney Morning Herald, Dr 
Kaye said: "The NSW and federal governments are refusing to enter the 
debate on trans fats. They are shirking their duty to protect public health.

"Parliamentary Secretary Christopher Pine who heads the Ministerial 
Council is ignoring international evidence that there are no safe 
levels of trans fats consumption. He is ignoring the ban on trans 
fats in Denmark and compulsory labelling in the USA.

"Mr Pine is refusing to acknowledge the Harvard School of Public 
Health study that suggests that trans fats are a key player in the 
'epidemic of coronary heart disease' in the USA, contributing to 
between 30,000 and 100,000 premature deaths each year.

"If Australians are consuming a similar amount of trans fats, then 
this corresponds to between 2,000 and 6,800 Australians dying each 
year. That is more than twice the rate of death from motor car accidents.

"Even if we consume fewer trans fats than the Americans, thousands of 
Australians are still at risk of dying in the next six months while 
Australia's food regulator, FSANZ, completes its study.

"Australia should be taking this public health threat at least as 
seriously as we take road safety. It's time for urgent intervention.

"The food industry knows that the writing is on the wall for trans 
fats. While maintaining a brave public face that everything is fine, 
some of the big operators are scurrying around reducing the trans fat 
content in their products.

"FSANZ and  the Ministerial Council are being left behind. They are 
waiting around until next year to complete a study of what 
Australians eat.  Meanwhile Australians are dying needlessly.

"The Ministerial Council meets next month. As a minimum mandatory 
labelling should be immediately introduced as a first step towards a 
ban," Dr Kaye said.

For more information:   John Kaye 0407 195 455


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John Kaye
phone: 0407 195 455
email: john at nsw.greens.org.au
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