• The World Health Organisaton (WHO) has awarded its first-ever certificates validating progress in eliminating industrially produced trans fatty acids to five countries — Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand.

• These countries have demonstrated they have a best practice policy for industrially produced trans fatty acids (iTFA) elimination in effect, supported by adequate monitoring and enforcement systems. 

• The WHO validation programme for iTFA elimination recognises those countries which went beyond introducing best practice policies by ensuring rigorous monitoring and enforcement systems in place. 

What are trans fats?

• Oils (such as vegetable, olive, sunflower) are liquids at room temperature. In the food industry, hydrogen is added to oils, in a process called hydrogenation, to make them more solid or “spreadable”. 

• Hydrogenated oils can be sold directly as “spreads”, but are also used in the food industry in the manufacture of many foodstuffs such as biscuits and cakes. 

• The use of hydrogenated oils helps to prolong the shelf-life of the food and maintain flavour stability.

• Trans fats are largely present in partially hydrogenated vegetable fats/oils, vanaspati, margarine and bakery shortenings (used in preparation of bakery products), and can be found in baked and fried foods.

• Trans fatty acids are semi-solid to solid fats that occur in two forms: industrially produced and naturally occurring. 

• Industrially produced trans fats are toxic compounds that are the cause of cardiovascular and other related diseases. 

• Industrially produced trans fat — commonly found in packaged foods, baked goods, cooking oils and spreads — is responsible for up to five lakh  premature deaths from coronary heart disease each year, the WHO said in a report in 2023.

WHO’s efforts for iTFA elimination

• While the ambitious target set by WHO in 2018 to fully eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids (iTFA) from the global food supply by the end of 2023 was not met, there has been remarkable progress made towards this goal in every region of the world. 

• A total of 53 countries now have best practice policies in effect for tackling iTFA in food, vastly improving the food environment for 3.7 billion people, or 46 per cent of the world’s population, as compared to 6 per cent just five years ago. These policies are expected to save approximately 183,000 lives a year.

• Best practices in iTFA elimination policies follow WHO criteria and limit iTFA use in all settings. 

There are two best-practice policy options: 

i) Mandatory national limit of 2 grams of iTFA per 100 grams of total fat in all foods.

ii) Mandatory national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils (a major source of trans fat) as an ingredient in all foods. 

• For some countries, an optimal programme would implement both policies, due to the sources of trans fat.

• WHO also encourages food manufacturers, the producers of raw materials and final food products, to eliminate iTFA from their products. 

• Eliminating iTFA is a powerful way to prevent heart disease and the high costs to individuals and economies in medical treatment and lost productivity. 

• Healthier oils and fats are available to replace TFA, and companies around the world are already using them.

• FSSAI’s efforts to limit trans fat levels in foods

• In December 2020, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) lowered the previous 5 per cent TFA limit in oils and fats to 2 per cent and extended it to cover all foods. 

• As of January 2022, India is implementing a best-practice policy for TFA, protecting an additional 1.4 billion people from the harms of TFA and potentially saving 144,400 lives per year.

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