In hopes of combating growing rates of cardiovascular disease, the Thai government has issued a ban on the production, importation, and distribution of trans fats — and all products containing it. Quietly announced on Friday, the ban was widely shared in local media on the weekend.
Thailand joins a growing list of countries including Denmark, Switzerland, and Canada (along with some US states) in mandating restrictions or reductions of trans fat in their food supply.
The move comes on the heels of last month’s release of a World Health Organization plan to eliminate “industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from global food supply.”
Thailand’s ban will ostensibly take effect 180 days from now, though, importantly, it remains unclear what enforcement of the ban would look like or if punishments specific to its violation are being crafted.
What’s more, enforcement would seem to be particularly difficult given that Thailand currently has no regulations mandating that the amount of trans fat be clearly labeled on food products.
Artificial trans fat is added through a process called hydrogenation and can often be found in margarine, snack foods, and fried foods. Though popular with food manufacturers for years due to its affordability and easy enhancement of flavor, it’s been proven to increase risk of heart disease, strokes, and type 2 diabetes.
In fact, that World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that cardiovascular diseases caused by trans fat results in 500,000 global deaths annually.
“The world is now embarking on the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition, using it as a driver for improved access to healthy food and nutrition,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, said in last month’s report.
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