The Devil in the Donuts

The Weak Case for Banning Trans Fats

Guest Speaker: Rolf Penner, Agriculture Policy Fellow, Frontier Centre for Public Policy

Since the late 1970’s researchers have been warning us about the dangerous fats that are hidden in the foods that we love to eat. Saturated fat was the first to be demonized but it was not the last. Food Scientists developed Tran Fats as a replacement for saturated fats and were widely heralded as heroes of public health for doing so. Now three decades later the same experts who warned us about saturated fats claim that these Trans Fats are far worse for us than the previous ones. Since they can be found in 40% of the foods that we find on our supermarket shelves the ‘salad Sandinistas’ have declared that there is no safe level of consumption of these fats and have persuaded the politicians in Ottawa to ban them across Canada. The ban will lead to higher prices for food and could open the door to retaliation by our trading partners. Join us for an appetizing discussion on whether there actually is something ‘sinister-in-the-sausage’ or if it’s just a bunch of baloney.

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About the Guest:Rolf Penner is Canada’s most “hands on” think tank-based farm policy commentator. He is a successful third generation farmer who operates an 1800 acre mixed farm near Morris, Manitoba. His farm is soundly diversified into two parts, half the operation consisting of feeder hogs and the other cropland. Both of which have consistently grown in size, sophistication and scope. He owns a 2000 head hog barn and also operates two more 2000 head hog barns in partnership with 3 neighbours. Crops rotated on his land include wheat, oats, barley, timothy, flax, rapeseed, canola, alfalfa, peas, lentils and sunflowers. He sits on various agriculture industry committees. As a producer delegate with the Manitoba Pork Council he received an education award in 2002. His many practical skills include the general maintenance and operation of heavy machinery, welding, carpentry, electrical work, basic veterinary care, marketing, accounting, and computer work. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a diploma in Agriculture in 1988. Rolf is a frequent media commentator on agriculture issues and writes frequenty in a range of daily, weekly and monthly newspapers.

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