Trans Fat In Vanaspati And Bakery Items To Be Less Than 2 Percent

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had taken a decision to reduce trans-fat in India and looks like they’ve taken the first step towards it. According to a report by F&B News, the regulator has given its nod to reduce trans-fat to less than 2 percent in vanaspati and bakery shortenings and margarines.

Lesser Trans-Fat Consumption

The report further says that this decision was taken in a meeting attended by FSSAI officials, manufacturers of vanaspati and edible oil, public health experts and consumer organisations in New Delhi.  “It has been agreed that this plan will be implemented in a phased manner. That will effectively bring the level of trans-fats in food in the country to zero,” said FSSAI in a statement according to F&B News.

“Through this, we are planning to achieve less than two per cent TFA content by 2022, a year ahead of the global target to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fat from the food supply by the year 2023,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI told F&B News. “We hope that this initiative will drive the market for trans-fat free products in the future. He further added that TFA reduction in partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) from five per cent to two per cent will be carried out in a phased manner by the industry.”

“The industry would come on board by signing the agreement to reduce industrially-produced TFA content in fats/oils to less than two per cent by 2022. The FSSAI commits to facilitate industries in capacity-building for the smooth transition,” he added.