Trans-Fat In Edible Oil Might Reduce To Below 5 Percent By 2022

India’s food regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has decided to take down the level of trans-fat found in edible oil even below the current permissible level of five percent. The plan, undertaken by the regulator is based on medical and scientific studies says F&B News and will take shape by the year 2022.

Trans-Fat Free World

The report further says that the encouragement of reduction of trans-fat comes from World Health Organization (WHO) which has asked the world to become trans-fat free by the year 2023. The FSSAI has picked out to implement this is India by 2022 as that is the 75^th year of our independence.

“On trans-fat reduction, India has also taken up a strategy,” Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI, in New Delhi told F&B News. “In fact, we have coined a slogan – India at 75, freedom from trans-fat. So we have aimed at achieving the objective a year before WHO. And we are conducting studies into the subject whether the five per cent limit can be reduced further in edible oil,” he added. The study, he told the publication was to see whether making trans-fat go further down in oils was risky or not.

Reduction Of Trans-Fat

“There was a proposal for further reduction in trans-fat beyond five per cent. We are in talks with the edible oil manufacturers, vegetable oil industry and health experts. We are bringing scientific and medical opinion as well, and if the evidence says that there is no need to further reduce the level, we will not push the industry,” he told F&B News.

Addressing the issue of re-heating the oil, he added, “FSSAI has already put together standards on total particulate matter, which is at 25 in case of pre-heated oil. Once that comes into force from July 1, coupled with proper enforcement, the problem of reheating of oil will also get addressed.”