MANILA – The Department of Health has reminded food firms to reformulate and eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFA) from their products by June 18, 2023.
On Wednesday, Department of Health Undersecretary for Public Health Services Team Beverly Ho stated during a media forum in Quezon City that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like cardiovascular disease have been one of the leading causes of death in the country.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that around 2.64 percent of deaths from coronary heart disease or blockage of the heart’s blood supply were the results of fatty substance build up in the coronary arteries and attributed this to TFA.
TFA is defined as manufactured fats during hydrogenation — a process which stabilizes polyunsaturated oils to prevent them from becoming stale and keep them solid at room temperature.
“Yet, TFA is used in various baked and pre-packaged food products,” Ho said. “To address this, last July 2021, the DOH issued Administrative Order No. 2021-0039, the national policy to eliminate industrially-produced TFA from our food supply.”
According to Food and Drug Administration Director Pilar Marilyn Pagayunan, they fully support the department’s campaign to eliminate industrially produced TFA from the food supply to prevent and control NCDs.
“The FDA recognizes the crucial role of food business operators’ compliance in achieving the country’s goal of eliminating industrially produced TFA , thus it has issued FDA Circular No. 2021- 0028 on Guidelines for Prepackaged Processed Food Products,” she said.
The circular also provides guidance to food industry operators that manufacture prepackaged processed foods throughout the transition phase, which is projected to last until June 18, 2023.
“Thereafter, FDA will include the monitoring of TFA in fats, oils and other processed foods in the annual post marketing surveillance plan for the monitoring of regional field offices inspectorate to check on the sustained compliance of the food business operators to ensure TFA is no longer in the market’s processed food supply chain, otherwise appropriate regulatory action shall be imposed,” she added.
Imagine Law Executive Director Sophia San Luis, a public interest group, noted that TFA could also be removed by establishing an environment that promotes healthy choices for Filipinos.
“Heart disease is not only the leading cause of death for Filipinos, it also leads to more severe Covid-19 outcomes. By eliminating TFA, we are one step closer to building a healthy and resilient Philippines,” she said.
Pagayunan stated that all product formulations and labelling of prepackaged processed food containing industrially produced TFA must adhere to the guidelines outlined under DOH Administrative Order No. 2021-0039 and the FDA Circular No. 2021-0028.
Any violation of the administrative order and the FDA circular provisions would result in the disapproval, suspension, or revocation of the certificate of product registration of concerned food manufacturers.
