Trans fats

Most people in the UK don't eat large amounts of trans fats. On average, we have about half the recommended maximum. Many food manufacturers in the UK no longer use hydrogenated vegetable oils, which means that trans fat levels have been reduced in many foods.

In the UK we eat a lot more saturated fats than trans fats. So we should try to focus on cutting down on saturated fat. See the Saturated fat page for tips on how to cut down.

If a food contains hydrogenated vegetable oil, this must be included in the ingredients list on the label. Foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oil might also contain trans fats. But trans fats don't need to be labelled separately under European law.

Very low levels of trans fats are also found naturally in foods such as dairy products, beef and lamb.