Gippsland › Latest news › Latrobe Local News

Latrobe City Council and Latrobe Community Health Service help food outlets make the switch to healthier cooking oils

People living in the Latrobe Valley will soon have healthier food options, with Latrobe Community Health Service and Latrobe City Council teaming up to encourage local food outlets to switch to healthier cooking oils.

By Portal Admin - 12th April 2017 - Back to News

Latrobe City Council’s mayor, Councillor Kellie O’Callaghan said "the Healthier Oils Program helps local food outlets switch to healthier cooking oils. This reduces the amount of saturated fat and trans fat in the meals they prepare."

"Using healthier cooking oils is an important step in helping reduce the risk of heart disease, and therefore improving the health of our community," she said.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in Australia. In the Latrobe Valley, 5.6% of the population reported having heart disease in 2012.

The Healthier Oils Program recommends the use of canola oil, high oleic oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil or blended vegetable oil.

Alisha Brooks, Health Promotion Officer at Latrobe Community Health Service, said it was straightforward for food outlets to work out if they were using a healthier cooking oil.

"If you have a look at the nutrition information panel on the oil you are using, the saturated fat should be 21.7 grams per 100 grams or less, and the trans fat should be 1.1 grams per 100 grams or less."

With the support of Latrobe City Council, Latrobe Community Health Service Health Promotion Officers will be visiting local food retailers to assess the types of cooking oil they are using. Those food outlets that switch to healthier cooking oils will be presented with a certificate on behalf of the Heart Foundation.

Food outlets interested in more information on switching to healthier cooking oils should visit www.heartfoundation.org.au/programs/healthier-oils-program.

Alternatively, the Primary Prevention team at Latrobe Community Health Service can provide an assessment of the cooking oils used at local food outlets. Call 1800 242 696.

Media Enquiries:

Media Relations Office

Telephone: 5128 5458

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com