A lawyer in the US has filed a lawsuit against Kraft Foods, seeking to ban Oreo cookies in California because they contain trans fat.


British-born attorney Stephen Joseph said he is taking advantage of part of California’s civil code, which deems manufacturers responsible for their products if they are not “known to be unsafe by the ordinary consumer.”


Trans fats, or hydrogenated fats, are thought to act like cholesterol in the body. The US Food and Drug Administration has said it will soon implement labelling requirements regarding information about trans fats in foods.


“We know the importance of good nutrition and we are committed to helping people lead a healthy lifestyle, but we have no choice than to draw the line against baseless lawsuits like this,” Michael Mudd, Kraft’s senior vice president for corporate affairs, said in an interview with Reuters.


“We’ve been … exploring ways to reduce trans fat in Oreos and those efforts are continuing,” he continued. “You can make a cookie without trans fat but what you’re trading off is the unique taste and texture that people have come to expect.”

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