Mr. Speaker, the response is as follows: a) Health Canada posted the fourth (4th) set of data from the trans fat monitoring program on its website on December 22, 2009. This information is available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/gras-trans-fats/tfa-age_four-data_quatr-donn_store-eng.php.
b) Overall, results obtained from the trans fat monitoring program from 2005-2009 indicate that through the voluntary approach, industry has made progress in reducing trans fats in their products while not increasing saturated fats. Most of the foodservice industry, as well as many prepackaged food manufacturers have been successful in reducing trans fats in their foods. For example, 78% of french fries and 86% of crackers were meeting the trans fat limit. The results also show that there are some sectors that face challenges in reducing the trans fat content of their products. For example, some bakery products, donuts, cookies, and desserts remain high in trans fat. Additionally, small and medium-sized food service operators face challenges controlling their ingredients for their products. As such, product reformulation in these sectors has been slower.
(c) Health Canada has been analyzing the impact of the voluntary program on the average trans fat intake of Canadians. The results indicate that further reductions are needed to fully meet the public health objectives and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Currently, the department is analyzing the most effective way to achieve the public health objectives, which includes assessing regulatory and non-regulatory options.