Progga urges implementation of trans fats limiting regulations
Industrially produced trans-fat is a toxic food element that increases risks of premature deaths from heart diseases
Progga, an advocacy and research organisation, has urged the government to immediately finalise and implement the regulations on limiting trans fats in food.
The organisation made the call marking the World Food Safety Day to be observed on Monday in a bid to ensure safe food for all, reads a press release on Sunday.
Industrially produced trans-fat is a toxic food element that increases risks of premature deaths from heart diseases, it added.
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Around 500,000 people die across the globe each year due to trans-fat-induced heart diseases, it claimed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the target to eliminate industrially produced trans-fat from the global food supply by 2023.
The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority has prepared the draft "Regulations on Trans Fatty Acids Control in Foodstuffs, 2021", but its finalisation is still underway.
"There is no alternative of safe food for nurturing a healthy generation. Eliminating trans-fat from food can save the lives of thousands and it is also a cost-effective measure for the government. Trans fat must be eliminated from the food chain immediately for ensuring safe food for all," said ABM Zubair, executive director of Progga.
World Food Safety Day will be observed across the globe on Monday. Dating back to 7 June 2018, the United Nations General Assembly announced the date as an annual celebration of World Food Safety Day with changing theme. This year's theme for the day is – Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow.
