The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized on the urgent need for more countries to adopt stringent measures against trans-fat in food, revealing that almost half of the world’s population is now covered by solid rules limiting the presence of trans fat.
Originally, the WHO set a goal in 2018 to eliminate industrially produced fatty acids in foods worldwide by 2023 due to evidence linking them to 500,000 premature deaths annually. However, this target was extended to 2025. Currently, 53 countries, encompassing 46 percent of the global population, are actively implementing best practice policies to address this health concern, a significant increase from the 11 countries covering six percent in 2018.
The WHO estimates that the implementation of these policies has already saved approximately 183,000 lives annually. WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the lack of known health benefits of trans fat, stating, “Trans-fat has no known health benefit but huge health risks.”
Seven countries, including Egypt, Mexico, Moldova, Nigeria, North Macedonia, the Philippines, and Ukraine, successfully implemented best practice policies in 2023.
Best practice policies involve either a mandatory national limit of two grams of industrially produced trans-fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods or a national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils, a major source of trans fat.
In recognition of progress, Tedros awarded the WHO’s first-ever certificates during a ceremony in Geneva, validating efforts to eliminate industrially produced trans-fatty acids. Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand were among the first recipients.
Certified countries must continually uphold best practices, backed by rigorous monitoring and enforcement systems, and submit updated data every three years to retain their status.
While Danish ambassador Ib Petersen highlighted Denmark’s success in reducing coronary heart disease by 11 percent through adopted policies, WHO emphasized that the elimination of trans fats is vital in reducing cardiovascular diseases, the leading global cause of death.
Tom Frieden, President of Resolve to Save Lives, a non-profit organization collaborating with the WHO, stressed that trans-fat elimination is economically, politically, and technically feasible, saving lives at virtually no cost to governments or consumers. Frieden cautioned against countries without regulations becoming “trans-fat dumping grounds.”