Wendy's french fries and chicken nuggets are placed in an order June 8, 2006 in Miami, Florida. In a move that significantly reduces trans fatty acids on its menu, Wendy's is making the switch to non-hydrogenated cooking oil for its French fries and breaded chicken items. The oil has zero grams of trans fat per serving. Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Health The WorldBye Bye, Trans-fatty Acids!
Between 2018 and 2023, best-practice policies were successfully implemented to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids (FTAs), which severely impact public health. While challenges remain, policy recommendations are being put forward to complete and sustain elimination.
By the end of 2023, WHO-recommended policies had been applied in 53 countries, covering 3.7 billion people, or 46% of the world’s population.
In 2023 alone, new best-practice policies became effective in seven countries—Egypt, Mexico, Nigeria, North Macedonia, the Philippines, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. The policies currently in place have helped prevent approximately 66% of the total deaths linked to TFA intake annually, or 183,000 lives saved each year. By the end of 2025, WHO hopes that best-practice policies will account for at least 90% of the total global TFA burden and at least 70% of the total TFA burden within each region.
