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UK retailers have voluntarily vowed to eliminate harmful trans-fats from their own brand products lines.

Firms such as Asda, Tesco and Marks and Spencer say they will stop industrially inserting trans-fats, which occur naturally in some foods but can accelerate the onset of heart disease, into food to improve its shelf-life.

The commitment is set to be outlined in an early day motion put before the House of Commons by the all-party parliamentary retail industry group today.

But the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has accused the EU of contradicting itself over the decision to seek legal action against Denmark, which it accuses of impeding enshrined free trade regulations by banning trans-fats outright.

This is despite the EU imploring retailers to cut trans-fats out of their own products.

Andrew Opie, the BRC's food policy director, insists that British retailers aim to remove trans-fats before the end of 2007.

"This is the latest in a string of healthy food initiatives and shows BRC members, responding to customer concerns, are willingly delivering a scale and pace of change way beyond anything retailers or manufacturers are doing anywhere else in Europe," he said.

Stephen Crabb, chair of the all-party parliamentary retail industry group, is expected to say tomorrow that this "house congratulates Asda, Boots, Co-Op, Iceland, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitrose for removing industrially created trans-fats from their own brand lines".

He is expected to go on to say that "by making such a commitment to the EU platform on diet, physical activity and health; and encourages the European food industry to follow this excellent example".