CURRENT AFFAIRS
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Description
At the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, the World Health Organization (WHO) presented validation certificates to Austria, Norway, Oman, and Singapore for successfully removing industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFAs) from their food supplies. These countries earned the distinction after adopting “best-practice” laws and establishing rigorous monitoring systems.
Despite this milestone, global momentum is slow: as of May 2025, only 60 countries have enacted effective trans-fat regulations protecting just 46 percent of the world’s population.
About Trans Fats
Natural TFAs occur in small amounts in meat and dairy from ruminant animals.
Industrial TFAs are created when liquid vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated to improve shelf life and texture. They are common in fried snacks, baked goods, margarine, and packaged foods.
Both forms raise “bad” LDL cholesterol and heighten the risk of coronary heart disease, but industrial TFAs are considered the bigger public-health threat linked to an estimated 278,000 deaths every year.
WHO’s 2018 Call To Action
In 2018, WHO urged governments to ban industrial TFAs, setting a target that countries representing 90 percent of global TFA exposure adopt best-practice rules by end-2025. Back then only 11 nations covering 6 percent of the global population—had such policies. The 2025 regional benchmark is 70 percent coverage.
Policy Wins And Regional Progress
Award-winning nations combined strict legal caps (or outright bans) with supply-chain checks and product testing.
India limited TFAs in all foods to 2 percent of total fat from January 2022.
South Africa and Nigeria have rolled out similar best-practice measures, making Africa the fastest-improving region.
Economic & Health Dividends
WHO emphasizes that eliminating industrial TFAs is one of the most cost-effective cardiovascular interventions. Replacing them with healthier oils cuts heart-disease incidence, saves lives, and reduces long-term healthcare spending—delivering high returns relative to policy costs.
Next Steps
WHO will keep assisting countries through technical guidance and its TFA-free validation programme. Applications for the programme’s third round stay open until 31 August 2025. To qualify, nations must:
Pass a best-practice TFA policy (either a 2 percent limit on fats/oils or a total ban on partially hydrogenated oils).
Prove robust enforcement and surveillance.
With continued uptake, WHO hopes the world can still meet the 2025 target and move closer to a trans-fat-free global food supply.
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