Hydrogenated vegetable oils

As part of its commitment to responsible retailing and to the welfare of customers, Waitrose ceased using hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVOs) in all its own label products at the end of 2006.

This move supports the commitment by the British Retail Consortium - which represents a number of major retailers - to remove hydrogenated vegetable oils from all stocks of own label products.

HVOs or trans fats can be formed when liquid vegetable oils are turned into solid fats through the process of hydrogenation. These fats - often found in biscuits, cakes and pastries - have a similar effect on blood cholesterol as saturated fats, as they raise the type of cholesterol in the blood that increases the risk of heart disease.

Customers may still find that some packaging has yet to be updated - with the current focus on unnecessary wastage we have asked suppliers to use up current packaging stocks.