Protect Nigerians from trans-fatty foods, groups tell govt

The Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) have called on the federal government to fast- track the approval of the two draft regulations initiated by the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Prof Adeyeye, NAFDAC DG

The bill seeks to reduce the amount of trans-fat in food consumed in the country.

In a statement to mark this year’s “World Health Organisation Report on Global Trans-Fat Elimination 2020,” the groups lamented that the two regulations; the ‘Fats and Oils Regulation 2019’ and the ‘Pre- Packaged Foods, Water and Ice-Labelling Regulations 2019,’ were yet to be approved several months after works were completed on them.

According to the Global Trans-fat Report, of the 17.9 million deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases globally about 10 million are associated with dietary risk.  It also stressed that trans-fat consumption is associated with increased risk of heart attacks and deaths from coronary heart disease.

In his foreword to the Report, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said: “Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – including heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes – kill 41 million people worldwide every year.”

He added: “Industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA), which are still used in some countries as an ingredient in fried food, deep-fried food, baked goods and spreads, are linked with heart disease and death. But they can be completely eliminated and replaced with healthier oils and fats without changing the taste or cost of food.”

NHED and CAPPA however, noted that although the 2020 report acknowledged the Nigerian government’s effort towards trans-fat elimination in foods, the country needs to speed up those efforts to enable the nation meet the WHO 2023 deadlines.

The Country Technical Lead of NHED, Dr. Jerome Mafeni, observed that: “Trans-fat consumption has become a major public health concern, even more so at this period of the COVID 19 pandemic. Government needs firm and stiff regulations to promote a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle so as to reduce our national cardiovascular diseases burden.”

Similarly, CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi stated that: “We do recognize the Ministry of Health and NAFDAC’s efforts towards the NAFDAC regulations, we are however worried by the slow pace regarding the approval of the draft regulations. We therefore plead that urgent actions are needed to halt unnecessary deaths from Trans-fat consumption.”

The WHO had on May 14, 2018, released the REPLACE package advising governments across the world that, “eliminating trans-fat is key to protecting health and saving lives.” The REPLACE package which is a step-by-step guide for the elimination of industrially-produced trans-fatty acids from the global food supply.