Fats - both good and bad

By Jim Winship, British Sandwich Association Director

The British Sandwich Association (BSA) supports the Government’s drive for healthier foods and for the reduction of salt, fat and sugar in diets.

In the case of fat, most people are aware of the need to reduce the amount of fat in their diets. People also need fats as they are a good source of energy and provide the fatty acids the body needs. They also help to absorb some vitamins. So for healthy living there needs to be a balance in the amount of fats we eat.

More important than anything are the different types of fat in our diet.

The ‘bad’ fats are saturated fats or trans fats, both of which increase the amount of cholesterol in our blood – which is a major cause of heart problems. Good fats are unsaturated fats which include the fats found in fish which contain Omega 3 fatty acids which it is believed help to protect the heart against coronary heart disease.

Saturated fats can be found in products like meat, butter and lard.

Trans fats (or hydrogenated fats) are found in some fast foods, processed products and items such as pastries and cakes.

There is some evidence that trans fats, which are formed when liquid vegetable oils are turned into solid fats through the process of hydrogenation, are more dangerous than saturated fats, although their consumption is generally less. Nevertheless, in view of the concerns over them, many retailers and manufacturers have already made commitments to reduce or eliminate trans fats from their products as soon as they can replace them with safer alternatives.

Labels on foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oils must be clearly state that they ‘might also contain trans fats’.

But remember - not all fats are bad for you. Indeed, unsaturated fats can be very good for you. These fats are found in oily fish, avocados, nuts and vegetable oils. So, for example, choose a fat spread which is high in unsaturated fat rather than butter or do not use a fat spread at all.

The British Sandwich Association and its members are committed to reducing the levels of ‘bad’ fats in sandwiches where this is possible.