The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) are joining forces to eradicate industrially-produced trans fats from the worldwide food supply by 2023. This partnership aims at reducing the over 500,000 deaths caused by coronary heart disease each year, which are directly linked to trans fat consumption. The WHO advises people to limit their energy intake from trans fats to less than 1%, equal to about 2.2 grams in a 2,000 calorie diet. This article delves into this agenda and its components.
Aim of the WHO & IFBA Partnership
In collaboration with the IFBA, the WHO is advocating for regulatory actions on food labelling and marketing, and enforces full adherence to its code on marketing breast milk substitutes. Their agreement commits the IFBA to reduce industrial trans fat in its products to below 2 grams per 100 grams of fat/oil globally by 2023. This initiative forms a key part of WHO’s strategic plan, the draft 13th General Programme of Work (GPW13), which guides WHO’s work from 2019 to 2023.
REPLACE: A Comprehensive Plan of Action
In 2018, the WHO introduced REPLACE, a six-step action guide designed to completely eradicate industrially-produced trans fatty acids from the global food supply. It involves reviewing dietary sources of trans-fats and required policy changes, promoting the replacement of trans fats with healthier fats and oils, legislating or enacting regulatory actions to eliminate industrially-produced trans fats, assessing and monitoring trans fats content in food supplies and changes in population consumption, creating awareness about trans fats’ adverse health effects among policymakers, producers, suppliers, and the public, and enforcing policies and regulations compliance.
The Role of the International Food and Beverage Alliance
Founded in 2008 by leading food and non-alcoholic beverage companies’ CEOs, the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) aims to empower consumers to embrace balanced diets and healthier lifestyles. It strongly supports the World Health Organization’s endeavors to improve global public health.
The WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work
Adopted by Member States in May 2018, the WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work (GPW 13) establishes three strategic priorities: achieving universal health coverage, addressing health emergencies, and promoting healthier populations. It aims for comprehensive well-being and health for individuals of all ages.
The Situation in India
India is ahead of WHO’s global target, setting a goal to reduce industrially produced trans fat to less than 2% by 2022. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched two initiatives: the Eat Right Movement and the Heart Attack Rewind mass media campaign to help achieve this target.
| Initiatives | Launched | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eat Right Movement | 2018 | Aims to decrease salt, sugar and oil intake by 30% in three years. Swachh Bharat Yatra, a Pan-India cyclothon, was launched to educate on food safety and healthy diets. |
| Heart Attack Rewind | – | A 30-second PSA broadcasted in 17 languages warning citizens about the risks of trans fats and advising healthier alternatives. |
The Role of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
The FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It consolidates various acts and orders regarding food-related issues from different Ministries and Departments. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare oversees the implementation of FSSAI, which sets science-based standards for food articles and regulates their production, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure human consumption safety.