More than 3 billion people are protected from harmful trans fatty acids in food

Two years after an ambitious effort by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from the global food supply, the organization reports that 58 countries have passed laws to protect 3.2 billion people from harmful substances by the end of 2021. But more than 100 countries still need to take steps to remove these harmful substances from food stocks.

It is estimated that the consumption of industrially produced trans fats causes about 500,000 deaths per year due to coronary heart disease.

“At a time when the whole world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, we must make every effort to protect human health. This must include taking all possible steps to prevent non-communicable diseases that can make them more susceptible to coronavirus and cause premature death, ”said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Our goal of eliminating trans fats by 2023 must not be delayed.”

Fifteen countries make up approximately two-thirds of the world’s deaths related to trans fatty acid intake. Of these, four (Canada, Latvia, Slovenia, United States) have implemented WHO-recommended best practice policies since 2017, either by setting mandatory limits for industrially produced trans fats on 2% oils and fats in all foods or by banning partially hydrogenated oils ( PHO).

But the remaining 11 countries (Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Iran, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Republic of Korea) still need to take urgent action.

The report highlights two encouraging trends. First, when countries act, they mostly accept best practice policies, not less restrictive ones. New policy measures adopted and / or introduced in the past year in Brazil, Turkey and Nigeria meet WHO criteria for best practice policies. Countries like India, which used to implement less restrictive measures, are now updating policies to align with best practice.

Second, regional regulations that set standards for more countries are becoming increasingly popular, and emerge as a promising strategy to accelerate progress toward global elimination by 2023. The European Union adopted a best practice policy in 2019, and all 35 countries that are part of the WHO / The Pan American Health Organization unanimously approved a regional action plan to eliminate industrially produced trans fats by 2025. Together, these two regional initiatives can protect an additional billion people in more than 50 countries not previously protected by trans fat regulations.

“With the global economic downturn, more than ever, countries are looking for the best purchases in public health,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives. “Making fat-free food saves lives and saves money, and by preventing heart attacks, it reduces the burden on healthcare facilities.”

Despite encouraging progress, there are still important differences in policy coverage by regions and income levels in the country. Most of the political actions to date, including those taken in 2019 and 2020, have been in higher-income countries and in WHO regions in America and Europe. Best practice policies have been adopted by seven high-income countries and 33 high-income countries; no low- or lower-middle-income country has done so yet.

Note to editors:

Industrially produced trans fats are contained in hardened vegetable fats, such as margarine and ghee, and are often present in snack foods, baked goods, and fried foods. Manufacturers often use them because they have a longer shelf life and are cheaper than other fats. But healthier alternatives can be used that do not affect the taste or cost of the food.

The WHO recommends limiting trans fatty acid intake to less than 1% of total energy intake, meaning less than 2.2 g / day with a 2000-calorie diet. In order to achieve a world without industrially produced trans fats by 2023, the WHO recommends that countries:

• develop and implement best practice policies to set mandatory limits for industrially produced trans fats on 2% oils and fats in all foods or to ban partially hydrogenated oils (PHO);

• invest in monitoring mechanisms, eg laboratory capacity to measure and monitor trans fats in food; and

• advocate regional or subregional regulations to broaden the benefits of fat policies.

This report begins during the 2020 Global Non-Communicable Diseases Week (NCD) from September 7-13. This year’s theme is responsibility to ensure that the commitments made by governments, policy makers, industry, academia and civil society become a reality.