Why in News:

• FSSAI slashes limit for trans-fat levels in food

What is Trans-fat?

• Trans fats, or trans-fatty acids, are a form of unsaturated fat.
• They come in both natural and artificial forms.
• Natural, or ruminant, trans fats occur in the meat and dairy from ruminant animals, such as cattle, sheep, and goats. They form naturally when bacteria in these animals’ stomachs digest grass.
• Artificial trans fat is created during hydrogenation, which converts liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid partially hydrogenated oil.

Additional Information:

• As part of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)-led ‘Eat Right India‘ movement, the target is to reduce the industrially produced trans fatty acids on food supply to less than 2% by 2022.
• As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 5.4 lakh deaths take place each year globally because of intake of industrially produced trans fatty acids. The WHO has also called for global elimination of trans fats by 2023.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/fssai-slashes-limit-for-trans-fat-levels-in-foods/article33486031.ece