W.H.O. Urges Governments All Around the World to Eliminate the Use of Trans Fats
Today, the World Health Organization has announced that trans fats will no longer be used around the world by 2023. Governments around the world will have to deal with eliminating the use of trans fats. These fats are used to create margarine, Crisco or other similar products that are linked to premature death.
American consumers are more accustomed to the name partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Trans fats kill half a million people a year, especially in the countries that accept these products for the low price or long shelf life.
According to W.H.O, all global food will be free from trans fats by 2023, to save more lives.
The campaign has partnered with Vital Strategies, a global health group supported by Michael Bloomberg. He banned trans fats in 2006 in New York City when he was the mayor.
No Difference in Taste or Costs
Dr. Friedan is the president of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative from Vital Strategies says that the ban is an excellent choice:
“If the world replaces trans fats, people won’t taste the difference, food won’t cost more, but your heart will know the difference.”
Denmark, Switzerland, Canada, Britain and the United States have already started restricting and banning trans fats (trans fatty acids). In June, all the products in the US must be trans fats free. Thailand is also preparing to ban them in the following weeks.
Barry Popkin is a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He argues that trans fats are overlooked in these regions:
“The reality is that global food companies have done an amazing job reducing trans fats in rich countries, but they have largely ignored Asia and Africa.”
For example, in India, the cheapest cooking oil is Vanaspati, made from palm oil. When the oil is reused and reheated, it becomes lethal, increasing the rate of heart disease in South Asians.
Dr. Francesco Branca, is the chief nutritionist for the W.H.O. He said that they’re not only encouraging governments to enact regulations and eliminate trans fats from local food manufacturers, but they also want to educate the public.
The W.H.O has already enlisted multinational companies to share the techniques with local producers so that they could also make the shift from trans fats.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.
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