Dhaka June 11,(V7N)- Health experts warned during a webinar on Tuesday that excessive trans fat in food is significantly increasing the prevalence of heart diseases and other non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh, along with the overall fatality risk. They emphasized the urgent need to control trans fat levels in food to safeguard public health.

Despite the government’s enactment of the “Controlling Trans-Fatty Acid in Foodstuffs Regulation 2021” to limit trans fats in food, experts noted that its implementation has seen little progress. They stressed the necessity for comprehensive enforcement of these regulations to mitigate the risk of trans-fat-induced heart diseases.

The webinar titled “Implementation of Trans Fatty Acid Control Regulations: Progress and Way Forward” was arranged by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), a research and advocacy organization, with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), marking World Food Safety Day. This year's theme was “Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected.”

According to the WHO report on Global Trans-fat Elimination 2022, 43 countries, including neighboring India, have implemented best-practice policies for tackling trans fat in food. However, Bangladesh is still lagging behind in this issue.

Dr. Mohammad Mostafa, Member (Public Health and Nutrition) of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), stated, “There are various stages involved in implementing the trans fatty acid regulation. We are moving forward step by step and we are optimistic about commencing the full-fledged implementation of the regulation soon.”

Enamul Hoque, Deputy Director (Agriculture and Food) of the Standards Wing at the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), highlighted, “We have some technical limitations in terms of implementing the regulation. However, we are actively working to overcome these.”

Other notable speakers included Mustak Hassan Md Iftekhar, Founder Chairman of BFSA and Secretary General and CEO of the Bangladesh Food Safety Foundation (BFSF); Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead of GHAI; Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of the Department of Epidemiology & Research at the National Heart Foundation; Shamsun Naher Nahid, Head of Nutrition at the Department of Diet and Nutrition of BIRDEM General Hospital; SM Nazer Hossain, Vice President of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB); and ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA.

The webinar was moderated by PROGGA’s Coordinator Sadia Galiba Prova, and included participation from individuals of various professions across the country.

END/V7N/SMA/DK/