Health minister launches trans-fat free logo

New Delhi: Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday launched the 'trans fat free' logo, which can be voluntarily used by food business operators in their outlets and also on food products. The logo was launched at the eighth International Chefs Conference organised in Aero City, New Delhi.

"Food establishments which use trans-fat free fats/oil and do not have industrial trans-fat more than 0.2g/100g of food, in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018 can display "Trans fat free" logo in their outlets and on their food products. The use of the said logo is voluntary," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in a statement.

Vardhan said trans fats are the worst type of fats with known health risks.

"India is committed to eliminating it from the food supply and is progressing towards its objective of trans fat elimination by 2022; a year ahead of the global target by WHO," the minister said.

The FSSAI is committed to reducing the industrially produced trans fatty acids to less than 2 per cent by the year 2022 in a phased manner and geared up to get freedom from trans fats.

He also appreciated the bakeries for voluntarily adopting healthier cooking practices to eliminate trans fats.

Vardhan also released a slogan 'Chefs 4 Trans Fat Free', under which more than 1,000 chefs from different parts of the country took a pledge to use trans fat free oils/fats in their recipes and work towards its elimination from diets of Indian populace at large.

Industrial trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid, and to increase the shelf life of foods. Trans fats are largely present in partially hydrogenated vegetable fats/oils, vanaspati, margarine and bakery shortenings, and can be found in baked and fried foods.

Globally, industrial trans fat intake leads to more than 5400,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease every year and in India, the figure reaches to 60,000 number.

Pawan Agarwal, CEO FSSAI said: "FSSAI is committed to reducing the industrially produced trans-fatty acids to less than 2% by the year 2022 in a phased manner. This is in line with our objective to get Freedom from trans fats - 'India@75; Freedom from Trans Fats'".