WHO recognizes four countries for impressive trans fat elimination policies
Since WHO‘s call in 2018 to eliminate trans fats, the number of countries implementing best-practice policies has expanded from 11, covering 6% of the global population, to nearly 60 countries encompassing 46%. The next validation cycle will accept applications until August 31, 2025.
GLOBAL – The World Health Organization (WHO) has honored Austria, Norway, Oman, and Singapore for implementing exemplary policies aimed at eliminating industrially produced trans fats from their food supplies.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented validation certificates during the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in Geneva.
Dr. Tedros emphasized that trans fats are a significant contributor to cardiovascular disease, accounting for over 278,000 deaths globally each year.
He praised the four countries for their commitment to protecting public health through mandatory limits and effective enforcement of these policies.
Korinna Schumann, Austria’s Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection, highlighted her country’s pioneering EU-wide regulation that caps trans fats at 2 grams per 100 grams of fat.
Oman’s Minister of Health, Dr. Hilal bin Ali bin Hilal Alsabti, expressed pride in being recognized among the nine leading nations, noting that eliminating industrially produced trans fats marks a significant milestone in their commitment to safeguarding their population’s health.
Jan Christian Vestre, Norway’s Minister of Health and Care Services, reported that recent monitoring data confirms the near-elimination of trans fats under the country’s stringent enforcement regime.
Singapore’s Health Minister, Ong Ye Kung, reflected on over a decade of policy action and collaboration with the food industry, describing it as a powerful testament to what can be achieved through consistent public health policy.
Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat found in some foods. While small amounts occur naturally, large quantities are present in processed foods made with partially hydrogenated oils, prevalently in baked goods.
The consumption of trans fats is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases; therefore, artificial trans fats are heavily regulated or banned in many countries.
However, they continue to be widely consumed in developing nations, where their intake is linked to a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality.
In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that artificial trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils were not generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and recommended that their use in manufactured foods should be limited or eliminated.
Following this announcement, numerous governing bodies, including the European Union, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, enacted restrictions or bans on partially hydrogenated oils and trans fats in food manufacturing.
The WHO set a goal to completely eliminate industrially produced trans fats worldwide by the end of 2023.
As this goal was not achieved, the WHO announced a renewed target in 2024 for accelerated action until 2025 to fulfill this objective.
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