Statement from Dr. Renu Garg, Senior Vice President of Cardiovascular Health at Resolve to Save Lives
“Egypt has adopted a best-practice policy to eliminate industrially produced trans fat from its food supply by October 2023. This will make Egypt the 49th country to join the World Health Organization’s (WHO) REPLACE initiative to rid the world of this toxic additive known to increase the risk of heart attack and death. We applaud the Egyptian government and the National Food Safety Authority for their bold commitment to prioritizing the heart health of 109 million more people.
“The new policy bans partially hydrogenated oils—the main sources of industrially produced trans fat—and creates a mandatory national limit of 2 grams of trans fat per 100 grams of total fat in all fats and oils. Trans fat is estimated to cause 45,000 deaths per year in Egypt, among the highest burden of deaths due to trans fat in the world. This policy has the potential to save more than one million lives in the next 25 years. We welcome the creation of a national commission in Egypt to oversee the implementation of the WHO REPLACE package.
“Global trans fat elimination can save more than 17 million lives over the next 25 years and prevent at least twice as many heart attacks, particularly in countries such as Pakistan, Mexico and Azerbaijan where the trans fat burden remains highest and best practice policies have not yet been adopted. Every government that has yet to take action to protect its people from trans fat must follow Egypt’s lead and accelerate progress toward a trans fat-free world.”
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