The World Health Organization (WHO) applauds Nepal’s latest legislation that restricts trans-fatty acids in food.
“Eliminating trans-fatty acids is a cost-effective measure with great health benefits in preventing premature deaths from cardiovascular disease,” says Ms Saima Wazed, the Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia.
The move is expected to promote good health and even save lives across the country. Industrially produced trans-fatty acids in food contribute to approximately 540,000 deaths around the globe each year as it largely contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases and in itself has no known health benefits. In 2018, WHO unveiled the REPLACE guide which consisted of six strategies to help eliminate industrially produced trans-fatty acids from food. Nepal follows in the footsteps of Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka in issuing similar prohibitions. The WHO has a goal of protecting two billion people from the harmful effects of trans-fatty acids within the REPLACE program by 2025; Nepal’s latest move has alone added 30 million people to the target goal.
