The government of Pakistan has achieved a significant public health milestone with the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) passing a national standard that limits industrially-produced trans fats to less than 2pc of total fat across all food categories.
According to the health experts, this landmark decision aligns Pakistan with international best practices that limit the use of industrially produced trans fatty acids in the food supply chain. Trans-fats are a harmful compound used in foods including fried foods, margarine, and commercial baked goods that increases the risk of heart attack and deaths, they said.
Every day, millions of people consume trans fats in their diet without knowing it. The approval of this new standard is the result of a collective effort between governmental and non-governmental organizations working in Pakistan, including the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, the federal and provincial food regulatory authorities, World Health Organization, Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA), Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), Heartfile, and other civil society organizations.
The adoption of the nationwide standard represents the sustained collaborative efforts and coalition-building by key stakeholders dedicated to improving Pakistan’s food safety regulations. The joint efforts of government bodies, civil society organizations, think tanks, and policymakers played a crucial role in strengthening the country’s regulatory framework to protect public health.
The journey toward this achievement gained momentum in June 2023, when regulatory standards to limit industrially produced trans fats were introduced by the PSQCA for six major food categories available in the country.
While a step forward, these regulations left gaps that allowed trans fats to remain prevalent in various food products, including widely consumed street foods.
Recognizing the need for comprehensive coverage, committed partners worked extensively with regulatory authorities, academia, parliamentarians, and other policymakers to ensure that the new standard applies across all food items and meets global best practices to protect public health. This multi-sectoral engagement included policy dialogues, technical consultations, youth engagement, grassroots mobilization, and media sensitization to build momentum for robust regulatory action.
According to health experts, collective efforts shall continue now to focus on legislative measures to permanently eliminate PHOs from the food supply, ensuring that the progress achieved through regulatory reforms is institutionalized for long-term public health protection. Strengthening enforcement mechanisms, increasing public awareness, and mobilizing support from food industry stakeholders will be key priorities moving forward.
