On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that nearly half of the global population is now under solid regulations restricting trans fat in food. The WHO had initially called for the elimination of industrially produced fatty acids in foods worldwide by 2023 due to evidence suggesting they contribute to 500,000 premature deaths annually.
Despite not meeting the 2023 target, which was subsequently shifted to 2025, 53 countries, encompassing 46 percent of the world’s population, have now adopted best practice policies on trans fat. This marks a significant increase from 11 countries and six percent coverage in 2018.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the absence of any known health benefits associated with trans fat, underscoring the substantial health risks it poses. He expressed satisfaction with the growing number of countries implementing policies either banning or limiting trans fat in food.
In 2023, seven countries, namely Egypt, Mexico, Moldova, Nigeria, North Macedonia, the Philippines, and Ukraine, joined the list of nations implementing best practice policies in this regard.