A newsletter entirely about margarine? Find out how we do it!

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Branden Townsend
5 years ago
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1 October Editorial A newsletter entirely about margarine? Find out how we do it! Dear reader, It is with great pleasure that we are sharing with you the first edition of the IMACE Newsletter! In fact, there are many things to say about margarine. For example, did you know that margarine is plant-based? Do you know about its fabrication process; its multiple applications and its health benefits? Because you may not, we ll share some interviews, recent studies and initiatives highlighting some interesting facts about margarine. We ll always keep a special focus on our core topics, i.e. nutrition & health, food safety, sustainability and the environment. And last but not least, we ll tell you all about the policies which impact our sector, as well as relevant developments in EU politics. We hope that you will enjoy reading this newsletter as much as we did writing it. With our kindest regards, The IMACE team

October 15 02 In the spotlight As a nutritional medical scientist and certified dietitian, I say YES to margarine! an interview with Sven-David Müller, MSc.

2 October In the spotlight As a nutritional medical scientist and certified dietitian, I say YES to margarine! an interview with Sven-David Müller, MSc. Sven-David Müller has recently published Cows would eat margarine, in which he debunks the myths about margarine. He shared his view on the composition and health effects of margarines with IMACE. 1 This book presents the key findings of a research comparing margarine and butter. Can you tell us what led you to conduct such a research? I wanted to investigate the myths about margarines, regarding their composition, and especially, their amount of trans fatty acids or trans fat. For the record, trans fatty acids raise bad LDL-cholesterol and thus increase the risk of heart attack. Trans fatty acids are present in both products, margarine and butter. They originate either from the stomach of cows or from the partial hydrogenation process which can be used to make vegetable oils. It is often said that margarines contain a lot of trans fat and I wanted to check whether this is indeed the case. 2 Can you tell us about the key findings of your research? The research has shown that in terms of fats, margarine is actually healthier than butter. In comparison to the butter brands, the margarine brands contain less unhealthy fatty acids and more healthy fatty acids. In particular, margarine is almost free of trans fat (between 0.28g and 0.81g per 100g), as opposed to butter, which contains higher amounts (between 1.98g and 3.10g per 100g). Same with saturated fatty acids which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease : butter can contain up to 67.7g of saturated fats while margarine only amounts to 25.1g per 100g. 3 Next to the reduced saturated fatty acid content, are there other health advantages to margarines? Margarine provides our body with some very good and healthy fatty acids. It can cover our needs regarding Omega-3 fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids

3 October In the spotlight especially the essential fatty acids linoleic acid (Omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha linolenic acid (Omega-3 fatty acid). The mean polyunsaturated fatty acids content of the studied margarines was 15.8g per 100g. When it comes to Omega-3, margarine brands contain between 2.13g and 5.35g per 100g, while butter brands contain much less. Omega-3 fatty acids are key for normal blood and cholesterol concentrations, as well as the development of our brain. Also, regarding the cholesterol content the differences in favour of margarine are enormous. Margarine brands contain between <1mg and 1.9mg per 100g (which is practically cholesterol-free), while butter cholesterol s content is between 138mg and 261mg per 100g (which is practically rich in cholesterol)! 4 What is your opinion on the difference whether you consume trans fat from animal or vegetable origin? According to several official agencies such as the German Risk Authority (BfR), the WHO, the FDA or the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), ruminant and non-ruminant trans fatty acids have the same adverse effects on health. They increase bad LDL cholesterol and reduce good HDL cholesterol. This increase in LDL cholesterol is associated with a bigger risk of cardiovascular disease. So, with all that was said about butter, it should be consumed as rarely as possible and in low amounts. Personally, I say NO to butter! 5 Most people have in mind that margarines are artificial products. Do you have an explanation for this perception? No, but for some reason, many consumers are not aware of what margarine really is and what it is made of. They stick to butter because it suits their taste and because they believe it is natural. Yet there are a lot of misconceptions. Margarine is made from high quality vegetable oils, such as rapeseed, sunflower or soy oil which grow naturally in fields. Of course these oils need to be crushed, and they are processed in a plant to become margarine; however, butter is also created in a plant! And we should accept that today, all what we eat comes from the food industry. Butter does not grow on trees and margarine is not an artificial product; it is a mixture of healthy vegetable oils and water. As a nutritional medical scientist and dietician I say YES to margarine and its advantageous nutritional profile, and NO to butter! 6 In terms of sustainability, can you tell us a bit more about the environmental footprint of margarine? Margarine is produced out of vegetable oils and fats, so no need to raise cows. Cows require an enormous amount of energy to feed, they produce lots of waste, and they re a major emitter of methane. Margarine production out of vegetable oils and fats saves a lot of CO 2. Margarine therefore has a several times smaller footprint than butter. Theoretically one can prepare margarine easily at home. So if you care about the planet, do not hesitate and go for margarine!

October 15 04 Health & Nutrition New Harvard study confirms that replacement of saturated fats with unsaturated fats can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease Following recent research saying

4 October Health & Nutrition New Harvard study confirms that replacement of saturated fats with unsaturated fats can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease Following recent research saying that people eating lots of saturated fats were not more exposed to cardiovascular disease than others, a new Harvard study casts doubt on these surprising findings and provides clear explanations on the link between fats and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies were suggesting that people cutting down on saturated fats were not likely to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, compared to those who kept eating them. Yet this was in contradiction with the long-term advice of cardiologists who suggest that replacing saturated fats (found in butter) with unsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils and margarine) significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. Harvard researchers provide, in a large prospective study, a very logical explanation for the discrepancy amongst these findings. The key, they say, is the quality of fat replacement. When making lifestyle change in our diet, we should pay attention to what we replace saturated fats with. For example, when people cut on saturated fats, they might replace it with highly refined carbohydrates. Unfortunately such a change in the diet does not help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as highlighted by fellow researcher Yanping Li 1. Instead, we should pay attention to which nutrients we replace saturated fats with. The risk of cardiovascular health disease can be reduced by replacing saturated fats with mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The findings showed that by replacing 5 per cent of energy intake from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat, we could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 25 per cent. Replacing the same amount with monounsaturated fat - such as olive oil - reduced heart disease risk by 15 per cent. This high-quality study supports IMACE s position on saturated and polyunsaturated fats and confirms there is strong and consistent evidence that replacement nutrients are of high importance. 1

October 15 05 News from the EU Dutch presidency will focus on product reformulation In less than three months the Netherlands will take over optimal formulation and innovation.

5 October News from the EU Dutch presidency will focus on product reformulation In less than three months the Netherlands will take over optimal formulation and innovation. In the context of the Presidency of the European Union. Among its priori- the upcoming discussions on the topic, it is important ties the Dutch Presidency has the intention to push for an to reiterate the efforts that the margarine sector has EU approach to product reformulation and composition. been carrying out in this field since the 1980 s. To name a few of the efforts: the total fat content of margarines IMACE will track this development, since reformulation and vegetable spreads has lowered; overall saturated means looking at ways to reduce salt, fat and sugar fatty acid content is reduced in favour of increased content in foods. unsaturated fatty acids; Margarines are virtually free from trans fatty acids; Vitamin A & D have been added What is the political situation today? In the Nether- to margarines; several margarines and vegetable oil lands, the government has a voluntary agreement with spreads are enriched with Omega-3 fatty acids. the food chain to improve the nutritional composition And so on... the list is long. of foods and drinks by Yet, farmers take no part in this agreement. At EU level, stakeholders also prefer Today, all these efforts have resulted in a large range a voluntary agreement, because it would serve best of healthy plant based fat sources, which allows both the EU health objectives and the principles of the consumers to optimize the quantity and the quality of internal market. their fat intake. The most significant further health gain The Dutch Presidency will tackle the goal of setting a concerning the fat intake in the diet can be obtained by level-playing field in this political context. It is replacing saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty expected to organize a conference in Amsterdam in acids. Consumers should be aware of the continuous February on the topic of food reformulation, where it efforts of the margarine sector to achieve that goal. should unveil more details and next steps. To inform For IMACE, optimal product formulation should go and prepare its members, IMACE is planning to take hand in hand with education & correct information so part to the Amsterdam Conference. IMACE and its that consumers can make the right choices to get a members have always paid a lot of attention to balanced and healthy diet.

October 15 06 Sustainability & Environment Is margarine a sustainable product? IMACE s debate will tell you!

6 October Sustainability & Environment Is margarine a sustainable product? IMACE s debate will tell you! Last summer, IMACE organised a debate focused on sustainability in the margarine value chain. The debate was well-attended with more than 50 representatives of the industry, NGOs, authorities and researchers in and around the margarine sector. Through an interactive House of Commons-style debate, participants debated a variety of topics, ranging from the consumers knowledge of the margarine s environmental impact to the sustainability of the plant based margarine to the responsibility for the extra costs of sustainable cultivation. The topic of sustainability is obviously fundamental for the margarine sector given the high potential of margarine to be a sustainable product. Margarines which are plant-based products as opposed to animal-based products have a lower environmental impact, according to the latest research. Indeed, LCA studies on margarine have shown that the carbon footprint of different margarines range from 1.1 to 1.7 kg CO 2 eq. per kg, which is lower than the one of butter and other animal fat sources. When it comes to the health impact, margarines are packed with good vegetable oils (poly and monounsaturated fatty acids) providing essential nutrients to your body. Three speakers provided the audience with their viewpoints on the topics of sustainability. Willem-Jan van Zeist, LCA specialist at Blonk Consultants, discussed the challenge of quantifying sustainability. Richard Holland, Director of WWF s Market Transformation Initiative, offered an NGO view and emphasized on the need for the food industry to do business in a sustainable manner. Lieven Callewaert, European representative of the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), highlighted from a sourcing perspective the role of soy in the production chain. The debate around various motions, enabled IMACE to better understand the positions and interests of the value chain actors.

October 15 07 Sustainability & Environment For IMACE, the next step after the debate would be to develop and implement a long-term vision with all its partners from the value chain.

7 October Sustainability & Environment For IMACE, the next step after the debate would be to develop and implement a long-term vision with all its partners from the value chain. IMACE is planning to focus on the following priority domains : Wiser with all the enriching ideas provided during the debate, IMACE and its members are more than ever committed to go further on the road towards sustainability. Sustainable sourcing of oils, to ensure security of supply on the long-term; Minimising environmental impact during production, through i.e. the optimization of energy and water use; Reducing food waste throughout the margarine cycle; And engaging consumers, by communicating transparently about our products and helping them to make the right choices.

8 October News from IMACE Did you already have a look at our brand new website? Recently IMACE proudly launched its new website. In the News and Publications sections you will The new website is part of the organization s ongoing discover the latest relevant news on margarines and efforts to enhance the quality and the availability spreads, as well as IMACE s collaterals and position of information to EU stakeholders. papers. Our Networks gives an overview of the partners IMACE is joining efforts with. The website s It offers quick and easy access to all essential user-friendly structure provides users with more information on IMACE, its members and its activities. efficient access to the organization s resources. It features the policy areas IMACE is active in, as well as IMACE position papers and publications. And we will For more information on the health, culinary regularly provide you with the latest relevant news on and green aspects of our tasty products, margarines and spreads, as well as IMACE s collaterals. margarines and spreads, you can also visit The new website follows the design guidelines of the new logo. The public part of the new website features five sections. About Us zooms in onto what IMACE and its members stand for. The About Margarine section covers the policy areas IMACE is active in. The new website is accessible via

October 15 09 IMACE Events Calendar 12 th European Nutrition Conference, Berlin, 20-23 October 2015 European Conference of the Dietitians, Amsterdam, 23-24 October 2015 Working towards a sustainable

9 October IMACE Events Calendar 12 th European Nutrition Conference, Berlin, October 2015 European Conference of the Dietitians, Amsterdam, October 2015 Working towards a sustainable global food system (a conference by Friends of Europe), Brussels 17 November 2015 Conference on Sustainability in Global Value Chains (hosted by the upcoming Dutch Presidency) - 7 December 2015 Health Ministers Council, Brussels 8 December 2015 EU Conference on product improvement, Amsterdam February 2016 Responsible editor : Mathilde Sechet

IMACE position on trans fatty acids Brussels, April 2015

IMACE position on trans fatty acids Brussels, April 201 Context IMACE is the European federation representing the interests of the European margarine producers. Directly and indirectly, IMACE covers about