Experts on nutrition and public health, convened by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), called yesterday for the elimination of industrial trans fatty acids from food supplies throughout the Americas.

The call for action followed the release of a special task force report in Santiago, Chile.

"The negative effects of trans fats produce high rates of cardiovascular disease resulting in heart attacks and stroke, often fatal, and are completely avoidable through good education and information," said Dr. Ricardo Uauy, president of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences and chairman of the task force.

He called for a halt in the consumption of foods with trans fats, which didn't exist 100 years ago.

Conclusive evidence

Experts from the PAHO task force cited "conclusive evidence" that consuming trans fatty acids, or trans fats, increases the risk of heart disease and possibly the risk of sudden cardiac death and diabetes. Reducing trans fat consumption by just two per cent to four per cent of total calories would prevent an estimated 30,000 to 225,000 heart attacks in Latin America and the Caribbean, the report said.

Trans fats are found primarily in foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils, whose texture and longer shelf life make them attractive to food processors, but which have harmful effects on human health.

Bad cholesterol

Research has shown that trans fats contribute to heart disease by raising levels of 'bad cholesterol' (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL), lowering levels of 'good cholesterol' (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL), and damaging the cells in the linings of blood vessels, contributing to inflammation and blockage and leading to heart attacks.

Several countries have begun to take action to reduce or eliminate industrially produced trans fats.

The full report of the Task Force on Trans Fat Free Americas is available at http://www.paho.org/ English/DD/PIN/TaskForce_Conclusions-17May07.pdf.