Five billion people unprotected from trans-fat leading to heart disease

Five billion people globally remain unprotected from harmful trans-fat, a new status report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found, increasing their risk of heart disease and death.

Since WHO first called for the global elimination of industrially produced trans-fat in 2018 – with an elimination target set for 2023; population coverage of best-practice policies has increased almost six-fold. Forty-three countries have now implemented best-practice policies for tackling trans-fat in food, with 2.8 billion people protected globally.

Despite substantial progress, however, this still leaves 5 billion worldwide at risk from trans-fat's devastating health impacts with the global goal for its total elimination in 2023 remaining unattainable at this time.

Industrially produced trans-fat (also called industrially produced trans-fatty acids) is commonly found in packaged foods, baked goods, cooking oils and spreads. Trans-fat intake is responsible for up to 5,00,000 premature deaths from coronary heart disease each year around the world. Best-practices in trans-fat elimination policies follow specific criteria established by WHO and limit industrially produced trans-fat in all settings.

There are two best-practice policy alternatives: 1) mandatory national limit of 2 grams of industrially produced trans-fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods; and 2) mandatory national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils (a major source of trans fat) as an ingredient in all foods.

In 2023, WHO recommends that countries focus on these four areas: adopting best-practice policy, monitoring and surveillance, healthy oil replacements and advocacy. WHO guidance has been developed to help countries make rapid advances in these areas.