- By Omolara Akintoye
Govt. have been urged to continue to support industry reformations by focusing on Small & Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to replace industrially produced Transfatty Acids (TFAs) with commercially viable and healthier oils.
The call was made by a group of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at a Conference tagged ‘Trans Fat and Cardiovascular Disease: Protecting the Health of the Populace through TFA Regulations” which was held in Lagos.
The Technical Adviser TFA- free Nigeria Campaign, Network for Health Equity and Development ( NHED) Dr. Jerome Mafemi in his presentation while commending govt for taking best policy approach to TFA Regulations that will facilitate enforcement and more minimise the need for large investment to support enforcement activities, ‘these anticipated new regulations will need to be supported before calls for review on institutions of more stringent regulation’ he said.
TFAs are a significant contributor to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) worldwide, estimated to contribute to over half a million deaths every year. iTFAs have no known health benefits and can readily and safely be replaced in foods without impacting their consistency and taste,” he said.
Mr Mafeni added that lack of awareness that TFAs are a significant public health challenge; lack of capacity of small and medium food producers to replace TFAs; and lack of replacement fats and technology are the challenges facing iTFA regulations.
According to the Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, (CAPPA) Akinbode Oluwafemi, different countries have adopted measures to reduce the transfat content in the foods consumed by their citizens, hence for Nigerians, consuming healthy and safe food is non negotiable.
Speaking on why TFAs should be replaced with healthier oils, the Nigeria Co-ordinator for Global Health Advocacy Incubator, (GHAI) Joy Amafah, said cardiovascular deaths are one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide and that industrially produced trans-fat (iTFA) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease data (GBD) Result Tool, Nigeria recorded approximately 854,000 deaths in 2019. Of the figure, approximately 137,000 deaths were said to be attributed to cardiovascular diseases and 3,229 attributed to TFA-related cardiovascular deaths.
Some of the organisations present include Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Nigeria Heart Foundation (NHF), among others.
Trans-fatty acids are unhealthy fats that come in both artificial and natural forms. Artificial trans fats are formed through an industrial process called hydrogenation, in which companies add hydrogen to vegetable oil and other products.
Foods containing trans fats are artery-clogging and increase cholesterol levels in humans, which experts claim cause high risk of cardiovascular disease.
TFAs are said to be common in baked goods, fries, pre-packaged foods, and cooking oils. Butter, salmon, egg yolks and cows’ milk are also natural sources of trans fat.
To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the World Health Organisation (WHO) advocated the elimination of TFAs in countries and released a guide called ‘REPLACE’ for governments to follow.
