The document provides guidelines for labeling trans fat content in foods. It defines trans fats according to Codex standards as unsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids with interrupted double bonds. Trans fats can be artificially produced through partial hydrogenation or occur naturally. The guidelines specify that trans fat content must be declared on labels, websites and advertising. It provides rules for presentation including listing trans fats with other nutrients and acceptable tolerance limits. It also outlines claims companies can make about trans fat content and approved analytical methods.

1. Overview: Guidelines for transfat labelling
Along with accumulation of scientific evidence, information of fats has been important indices in order to enable consumers to make informed food choices. However, labelling rules for transfatty acids had not existed as opposed to saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, whose standards set out in the Health Promotion Act.
Therefore, Consumer Affairs Agency has published “Guidelines for transfat labelling” and has described details for industry when transfatty acids are declared on nutrition labelling.
In this guidelines, transfatty acids are defined in accordance with the definition adopted in the Codex AlimentariusCommittee, establishing international food standards. Codex definition: Transfatty acids are all the geometrical isomers of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids having non-conjugated, interrupted by at least one methylenegroup, carbon-carbon double bonds in the trans configuration. Note: Transfatty acids may derive from artificial or natural sources; however, they can not be accurately differentiated in analysis. Thus, both of artificial and natural transfatty acids are included in the definition. Definition 【Industrially-produced transfatty acids】 Margarine, fat spread, and shortening, made from partially- hydrogenated liquid vegetable oils, as well as bakery, sweets such as cakes and donuts, and frying foods, made with partially-hydrogenated fats contain transfatty acids. Small amounts are found in vegetable oils, heated or cooked at high temperature. 【Naturally-derived transfatty acids】 Milk, meat, and dairy products contain small amounts of transfatty acids as ruminant animals (cows and sheep) produce transfatty acids by biohydrogenationof unsaturated fatty acids in the rumen. Major Foods containing transfatty acidsExamples 【Presentation】
Transfatty acid information is expected to be presented on labelling of prepackaged foods offered for sale, at the company’s website, and in advertising materials.
When declaring transfatty acids, basic requirements (i.e., energy, protein, total fat, and carbohydrate) as set out in the Nutrition Labelling Standards as well as saturated fatty acids and cholesterol must be declared.
Name: Transfatty acids should be listed as “Transfatty acids” within the Nutrition labelling table with other nutrients.
Unit：Transfatty acids should be declared in grams per 100g/100ml or per serving, per package, or per reference amount of the food
Tolerance: Acceptable criterion is plus 20% of the declared value. Note: As a general rule, declaring 0g is only allowed for a food product containing no transfatty acids; however, when the food contains less than 0.3g/100g (100ml for soft drinks), the value can be rounded to 0g. 【Nutrient content claim】
Free Claim (e.g., free, zero, no, without) 1. The food contains less than 0.2g of transfatty acids per 100g (100ml for soft drinks) and 2. The food contains less than 1.5g of saturated fatty acids (0.75g per 100ml for soft drinks) or the food provides less than 10% of energy from saturated fatty acids.
Reduction Claim (e.g., reduced, low, less) Declare the name of the reference food as well as the amount or percentage of the reduction 【Methods of analysis】
Transfatty acids should be analyzed using AOCS Ce1h-05 or AOAC 996.06, themajor internationally recommended methods of analysis.
Firms may choose other method equivalent to AOCS and AOAC methods. Summary of Guidelines