UK's leading supermarkets have posed a ban on stocking trans fats.
Three of the UK's biggest supermarkets are ensuring that not one of their own food brands contain trans fats, given that even a small amount can seriously damage health .
Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda have announced deadlines for the removal of hydrogenated foods, which make up the main source of trans fats. All of this is likely to go ahead in January 2007.
Trans fats are a key contributor to heart disease as well as obesity, and is considered by some to be carcinogenic. They are put in foods like pies, cakes and ready-meals, in order to prolong shelf life.
Experts have sought a total ban on such fats, with the World Health organisation advice being totally remove them diets. Hydrogenated oils come from heating vegetable oil to an extremely high temperature, then turning it into solid form. They are banned in numerous countries.
Marks and Spencer have eliminated the ingredient from their products, with other supermarkets expected to follow soon.
