“Trans fatty acids kill people and should be banned,” warned theWorld Health Organization (WHO), noting that few countries have adopted legislation to protect consumers.
In fact, according to the WHO five billion consumers are still not protected once morest these products dangerous to health.
The WHO had set itself the goal in 2018 of eliminating these trans fatty acids from the world diet by 2023. But in its progress report, published on Monday January 23, 2023, the Organization is obliged to recognize that this “ is unattainable at the present time”.
This fat increases the risk of heart disease and death. “Trans fats have no known benefit and have huge health risks which entail huge costs for health systems,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. And to urge to get rid “once and for all” of these “toxic chemicals that kill”.
There are two types of trans fatty acids: those that are natural, they are already present in meat, milk and dairy products.
These fatty acids can also be created and are found in many processed foods such as pastries, pizzas, quiches, nuggets…. but also in chocolate bars and certain cooked dishes. Finally, this fat can form when oils are cooked at high temperatures, whether during industrial production or during domestic use.
500,000 deaths per year
Of the 60 countries that have some form of elimination of industrial trans fatty acids, only 43 have adopted best practices. By imposing a limit so that these fatty acids do not represent more than 2% of oils and fats in all food products. This decision protects approximately 2.8 billion people worldwide.
Industrial trans fatty acids are found in solidified vegetable fats, such as baked goods, cooking oils and spreads. Today, Only 43% of the world’s population has some form of protection once morest these products, which the WHO estimates cause heart disease responsible for 500,000 deaths a year.
“Eliminating trans fats is cost effective and has huge health benefits. Simply put, trans fats are a toxic, killer chemical, and they should have no place in the diet,” Dr. Tedros insisted.
There is sometimes a form of denial regarding the very existence of the problem. Currently, 9 of the 16 countries with the highest estimated proportion of coronary heart disease deaths caused by trans fat intake have not adopted the recommendations.
WHO recommendation
WHO recommends that countries focus on adopting a policy of “best practices” of replacing oils high in trans fats with healthy oils, in addition to follow-up, product monitoring and strong education.
The UN agency has developed guidance to help governments make rapid progress in these four areas.
The WHO also encourages food manufacturers to eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids from their products.
While most policies have so far been implemented in wealthy countries, primarily in North America and Europe, the WHO said an increasing number of middle-income countries are implementing or adopting policies. policies once morest this fat.
In France and in Europe
A 2005 study by the agency national food, environmental and occupational health safety (CONSIDERED) has shown that people exceeding the threshold of 8 g/day expose themselves to significant risks of cardiovascular disease.
This agency recommends a trans fatty acid intake of less than 2% of total energy intake.
In Europe, the European Commission has banned trans fatty acids since 2019 when this content exceeds 2 grams per 100 grams of fat, thus following WHO recommendations.
More information :
