Civil society calls for action to regulate trans-fats

Islamabad:Civil society and health professionals urged Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and Ministry of Science and technology to adopt a single, unified regulation to limit industrially produced trans-fats (iTFA) across all food categories.

The urgent appeal was made by members of the Transform Pakistan campaign, spearheaded by Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA) and supported by the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), Heartfile, and several other leading civil society organisations and health professionals.

"A single, regulation is the most effective way to limit iTFA to no more than 2 percent of total fats in all foods to safeguard Pakistanis from the harmful effects of trans-fats," said Afshar Iqbal, Director of Communications & Advocacy at PYCA. "This approach is recommended

by the World Health Organisation and closes loopholes that the food industry could otherwise exploit, ensuring consistent enforcement and protection."

The unified regulatory measures are backed by global best practices, as highlighted by Munawar Hussain, country lead at Global Health Advocacy Incubator. "Adopting a uniform standard regulation is a proven global best practice policy and recommended by WHO. It levels the playing field for all food producers while ensuring that every consumer is safeguarded from the dangers of trans-fats, regardless of the type of food they consume," he emphasised.