Health committee  I think the question would be best posed to Health Canada, as they are the producers of the data.

Health committee  As the minister announced and brought forward a voluntary approach, I think it's important that we ascertain exactly where industry is with regard to that voluntary approach.

Health committee  No, not talk more, but as I said in my statement, go out and monitor exactly where trans consumption is in the food supply. It could be done fairly quickly in the grand scheme of things, I would offer.

Health committee  The point I was trying to make--and thank you for bringing it out--was that the trend line was going down with regard to trans fat consumption as a percentage of energy. The last data set was in 2008. Reformulation has happened. Where we are today, I don't know; I do know from the conversations with my members that those reformulation efforts continue, as you reiterated.

Health committee  With regard to the gentleman in question, his ability to bring the product to market, I believe--and I would have to get back to the member to specify--was a result of challenges he was facing in production, not necessarily in demand for the product. He had issues associated with how he could produce the product, but they were not market-driven issues.

Health committee  In the baking industry, our breads and rolls segment has essentially been trans fat free since the late 1990s, when we switched over to using a liquid oil. The challenge has been with the need for a hard fat for lamination purposes, in puff pastries, etc. The choice fat that the industry has been utilitizing has been a palm oil-based fat, which is a high-saturate fat.

Health committee  No. As I said in our submission, I believe it's necessary to understand where the market is today before a final determination is made with regard to the voluntary approach, which I would also like to make known is an approach we didn't ask for. I'd like to ask the committee a question.

Health committee  In response to various opportunities and conversations with the gentleman, we've actually had him speak at our events, etc. We asked him about specific information related to his product and its applications to the baking industry. I don't know its current status, but I also understand that they had issues bringing the product to market.

Health committee  Thank you. I think it's important to look first at the chronological order of the recommendations that came out of the task force. The report was issued in June 2006. As a result, the latest monitoring data were done at the end of 2008, so when we start talking about our overview of the implementation and monitoring of the food supply, that actually occurred in a two-and-a-half-year period.

Health committee  Thank you, Chair. I apologize; I didn't bring any samples. I'm often asked that when I appear before committees.

Health committee  Thank you, Chair, and good morning to members of the committee. My name is Paul Hetherington. I'm president and CEO of the Baking Association of Canada. We are pleased to appear before the committee on the subject of trans fat reformulation. As a refresher about our organization, BAC is a not-for-profit trade association representing independent retail, commercial, food service, and in-store bakeries.