Bruce McDonald, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Human Nutritional Science at the University of Manitoba prepared an excellent report for the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition (CCFN) dated February 2008 and titled consumer Confusion about Fat.
It is well worth reading in its entirety and can be found at:
http://www.ccfn.ca/pdfs/Watching%20Brief%20on%20Fat%20-%20Feb24.pdf
Important highlights of this CCFN Watching Brief include:
- there is substantial confusion among consumers regarding dietary fat
- reducing total fat without reducing saturated fat has little effect on blood cholesterol.
- Consumer continue to believe that simply reducing fat intake can lower blood cholesterol.
- the World Health Organization (WHO) proposes that trans fat intake be limited to 1% or less of total energy intake and that saturated fat be limited to 10% or less of total energy intake.
- the saturated fat intake recommended by the WHO considers that not all saturated fatty acids have similiar physiological effects. Stearic acid for example has little effect on blood total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels whereas palmitic acid significantly elevates bad cholesterol (LDL).
the Canadian Food Guide recommends that individuals limit butter, hard margarine, lard and traditional shortening and for the first time it also recommends that their diet include a small amount of unsaturated fat per day from oils such as canola oil, soybean oil, or sunflower oil