Food production by 2023 should be completely transfat-free, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adan Ghebreyesus said in Geneva on September 9.
“At a time when the whole world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, we must do our best to protect human health. This includes taking all possible measures to prevent non-communicable diseases, ” he said.
Trans fats kill an estimated 500,000 people each year as a result of cardiovascular disease, the statement said.
Today, two-thirds of all deaths from trans fat use occur in fifteen countries.
Four of them followed the WHO recommendations and limited the number of trans fats used in the production of products: Canada, Latvia, Slovenia, and the USA.
However, 11 countries — Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Egypt, India, Iran, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, and Ecuador — still need to “take urgent action” to reduce the proportion of trans fats in foods.
WHO stressed that only countries with high per capita incomes have taken measures to reduce the use of trans fats.
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