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A ban on dangerous trans fats in food has been ruled out by the Government, despite evidence that they are responsible for as many as 7,000 premature deaths a year.
Official health watchdog NICE has called for a veto on the killer fats, which are blamed for high cholesterol in the blood, clogged arteries and heart attacks.
However Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has decided to reject the advice and sided with the food industry - which argues a ban is unnecessary.
In a separate announcement, he told the British Medical Association the Government was likely to opt out of legislating on health and diet.
Mr Lansley said it was wrong to lecture people on what they should eat and argued the efforts of Jamie Oliver to tackle child obesity and ill-health had failed.
NICE, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, insists banning trans fats is key to combating
as many as 40,000 early deaths a year linked to junk food high in fat, salt and sugar.
It said: 'Industrially-produced trans fatty acids constitute a significant health hazard.'
