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Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Trans fats are killers. Up to 500,000 people worldwide die each year from eating trans fats. Trans fats clog arteries and increase LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, a compound that causes heart attacks and death from heart disease.
Most trans fats are derived from industrially produced man-made partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHO). They are used in many baked goods, frying oils, fried foods, and hydrogenated fats such as margarine and vegetable ghee. They are inexpensive and extend the shelf life of processed foods.
However, they have no known health benefits and can be easily replaced with other ingredients to maintain the taste and consistency. In essence, they are food cigarettes.
Good news.there is an easy fix
Still, it’s pretty easy to get rid of them. PHO can be easily replaced with other vegetable oils that are healthier, less expensive, and taste better, such as high oleic vegetable oils.
In 2018, the World Health Organization called for the elimination of industrially produced trans fats from the global food supply by the end of 2023. Ban trans fats and replace them with healthier oils.
There are two best practice policy alternatives.
- National limit of 2 grams of industrially produced trans fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods.
- A nationwide ban on the manufacture or use of partially hydrogenated oils (the primary source of trans fats).
To date, more than 40 countries, representing more than a third of the world’s population, have implemented one of WHO’s best practice policies. A further 17 countries have adopted less restrictive policies but are on track to implement recommended best practices.
This is impressive progress, with almost a six-fold increase in the number of people protected by best practice policies since the initiative’s inception.
The result is clear. In Denmark, the first country to eliminate trans fats in 2004, studies show that deaths from heart disease have decreased.
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A global effort is underway
But time is of the essence if we are to reach our year-end eradication target.
Many countries are heading in the right direction. For example, the United States has passed legislation banning the production and use of partially hydrogenated oils in the food supply.
High-, middle- and lower-middle-income countries such as Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Paraguay, the Philippines and Ukraine are increasingly implementing these policies. Best practice policies are being considered in Mexico, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka. If adopted, Nigeria will become Africa’s second most populous country to implement best-practice trans fat removal policies.
However, 9 of the 16 countries with the highest estimated rates of death from coronary heart disease due to trans fat have not yet implemented best practice policies: Australia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt and Iran. , Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea.
Governments play a key role in eliminating trans fat, but engaging industry, the producers of raw materials and finished foods, is essential to achieving our goals.
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By replacing industrial trans fats with healthier fats in their own products, food manufacturers, food service sectors, and fat suppliers can protect people from the harm of trans fats, even in countries without national legislation. If they so choose, these companies could have an almost unparalleled impact on global health.
We Need All of Us to Get Rid of Trans Fat
In 2019, the International Food and Beverage Alliance, which represents some of the world’s largest food companies, committed to eliminating trans fat from its products by the end of 2023. Commit to the same goal. This is commendable. WHO is in contact with other producers and we encourage them to follow suit.
In addition to action by governments and industry, action by civil society is also essential. His one such organization, Resolve to Save Lives, advocates for the elimination of trans fats and plays a key role in driving major policy changes in countries.
WHO is spearheading global efforts to eradicate it. Under the newly established Validation Program for Trans Fat Removal, WHO recognizes national successes in implementing best practice policies, along with effective monitoring and enforcement.
One of WHO’s top priorities is to help countries promote health and prevent disease by addressing the root causes in the air they breathe, the environment in which they live, work, and what they eat. . Prevention is not only better than cure, it costs less. Eliminating trans fats is therefore a powerful way to prevent heart disease, health care costs and lost productivity for individuals, families and economies.
Food should be the source of health, not the cause of disease. It’s time to banish trans fats to the dustbin of history.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is Executive Director of the World Health Organization. Follow him on Twitter. @DrTedros
Details from the World Health Organization:
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