The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) at a provincial consultation underscored the urgent need for mandatory regulation to safeguard public health and mitigate detrimental effects of excessive iTFAs consumption through diet. The consultation organized by the CPDI with the support of its partners was aimed at tackling the health risks linked to the consumption of industrially produced trans fatty acids (iTFAs) in Pakistan, according to a news release. All key stakeholders, including Punjab Food Authority, PCSIR, PSQCA, academia, PANAH, and civil society, came together to support and call for urgent limits on industrial trans fatty acids (iTFAs) to save lives and make healthier Pakistan. Addressing the moot, Punjab Institute of Cardiology Executive Director Prof Anjum Jalal said that with every passing day, people were dying with cardiovascular diseases due to high consumption of iTFAs in the diet. He stressed the urgency for the government to adopt mandatory policies aimed at limiting trans fats to less than 2% in all foods. Consultant at Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Munawar Hussain, highlighted that evidence from several countries who passed the mandatory iTFA limits reflected significant reduction in the diseases burden. He emphasized that limiting iTFAs in all foods would ultimately save precious lives from diseases, disabilities, and deaths. “The policy will bring economic gains for Pakistan as well, in term of reduction in the hospital expenditures and more productive human resources.”
CEO of Heartfile Dr Sab a Amjad shared iTFA consumption trends in Pakistan and said that though there was some progress made in the country, but “research shows that iTFAs is widely found in various food items. This underscores the need for adopting best practice policy to set no more than 2 percent limits of iTFAs of total fats in all foods without any exception.” While moderating the session, CPDI Project Manager Syed Raza Ali explained that Pakistan ranked second highest in the WHO-EMRO region in iTFA consumption followed by Egypt. “This alarming statistic correlates with a surge in multiple non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), imposing significant economic burdens on both individuals and the nation as a whole,” he said. Despite some measures taken last year, he added, Pakistan still “falls in the less restrictive category on the WHO TFA country score card”. Prof. Imran Pasha, Director General National Institute of Food Sciences and Technology and Farah Athar from Punjab Food Authority also highlighted the need for adopting the best practice policy as per WHO recommendations by setting national iTFA limits of no more than 2 percent.
