Frozen food distributor Central Foods has confirmed it’s a ‘trans fats free’ zone.

“This is great news for all of our customers, and for their customers too,” said Central Foods managing director Gordon Lauder.

“The issue of trans fatty acids, or artificial trans fats, has been high on the health agenda in recent years after links to heart disease and strokes. We’ve carried out a very detailed check of more than 400 products that we supply to wholesalers and food service operators, and we are proud that none of the products we supply has trans fatty acids as an ingredient.

“As a leading frozen food distributor, Central Foods prides itself on offering high quality products, working in partnership with the best food manufacturers, and this news illustrates our commitment to excellence.”

The US Food and Drug Administration is banning trans fatty acids from 18^th June 2018, and last year, the EU adopted a resolution to start an assessment of the impact trans fatty acids have on public health and to devise policies after an earlier preliminary report by the European Commission suggested that setting a legal limit for industrial trans fats content in foods would be the most effective measure in terms of public health and consumer protection.

New York, which banned trans fatty acids in restaurant food in 2007, has seen a 6% drop in hospital admissions for heart attacks and strokes compared with counties without bans, according to a study by Yale University.

Trans fatty acids, known as hydrogenated fat, can be used for frying or as an ingredient in processed foods, commonly to make them more solid.

In recent years, many manufacturers have voluntarily removed trans fats from their products through reformulation.