Ahead of the 25 September United Nations General Assembly head of state meeting on protecting people from noncommunicable diseases, Austria, Norway, Oman, Singapore, and the WHO are calling for the global scale-up of efforts to eliminate manmade trans fat from manufactured foods—a major cause of heart disease and hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year.
Wars and other manmade health crises understandably capture global emotion, attention and urgent calls for action. However, there is another less visible manmade health challenge that countries are increasingly fighting back against.
The drive to rid the global food supply of industrial trans fat—a chemical responsible for over 278,000 deaths each year around the world—shows how government action and commitment can promote health and save lives.
Industrially-produced trans fat is a silent killer found in everyday products—often in baked goods, snacks and margarine. It is formed when liquid vegetable oils are industrially processed into semi-solid forms to improve texture, taste and shelf life.
Trans fat has no known health benefits but numerous proven harms. Even small amounts can increase the risk of coronary heart disease. However, with dedicated action, trans fat can be significantly reduced—or even eliminated—from the food supply, offering hope for a healthier future for tens of millions of people worldwide.
In 2018, the WHO proudly launched a global initiative supported by its member states to eliminate trans fat from the processed food supply. Two years later, it initiated a programme to recognise and acknowledge countries for successfully doing so.
