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Trans Fats free India Initiative of FSSAI
Shambhavi Sharma / 2021-04-10 01:36:34With the latest implementation of Trans fat regulations, India enters the club of about 40 countries worldwide that have already adopted best-practice policies to remove trans fats, and will be among the first countries in Asia, after Thailand, to do so.
On and after January 1, 2022, all food products containing edible oils and fats as an ingredient will not contain industrial trans fatty acids in excess of 2% by mass of the inclusive oils or fats present, according to a new FSSAI notification.
Key Factors of the Trans Fats free India Initiative of FSSAI
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On and from January 1, 2022, all food products containing edible oils and fats must not contain industrial trans fatty acids in excess of 2% by mass of the total oils/fats contained in the commodity, as directed by the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Second Amendment Regulations, 2021, gazetted in February 2021.
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All geometrical isomers of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids with non-conjugated carbon double bonds in the trans configuration, interrupted by at least one methylene group, are described as industrial trans fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids are prohibited on farms, in poultry, fish, and their products.
Reasons for the Trans Fats free India Initiative of FSSAI
Industrial trans fats are made by solidifying liquid vegetable oils with hydrogen, increasing their stability at room temperature and extending their shelf life. Trans fats are used in baked and fried foods and are also found in partially hydrogenated vegetable fats/oils, vanaspati, margarine, and pastry shortenings.
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Higher intakes of industrially processed trans fatty acids (>1% of total energy intake) have been linked to an increased risk of high cholesterol and heart disease, according to research. According to 2017 figures, over 1.5 million people die in India each year from coronary heart disease, with approximately 5% (71,000) of those deaths attributed to trans fat consumption.
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Eliminating iTFA has been established as one of the modifiable risk factors for heart disease prevention. This is particularly significant in the current situation, as COVID -19 puts people with co morbidities like hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases at risk. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for the removal of industrially processed trans fat from the food supply by 2023, and issued a ‘REPLACE' action plan to that end.
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FSSAI is also developing industry capacity to help with the transition to a Trans Fatty Acids-free food supply, and recently completed a series of webinars on trans fats in this regard. Each webinar was tailored to specific stakeholders, focusing on the challenges they face in making the transition to trans fat-free products and offering realistic technical solutions through talks provided by national and international experts.
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Nearly 3,700 people from the edible oil industry, food companies, bakers, cooks, restaurateurs and hoteliers, sweet and namkeen producers, and food analysts from food analytical laboratories participated in the webinars.
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