Pakistan has achieved a significant public health milestone with the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) passing a national standard that limits industrially produced trans fats to less than 2% of total fat across all food categories. This landmark decision aligns Pakistan with international best practices that limit the use of industrially produced trans fatty acids in the food supply chain. Trans fats are a harmful compound used in foods including fried foods, margarine, and commercial baked goods that increases the risk of heart attack and deaths. Every day, millions of people consume trans fats in their diet without knowing it. The approval of this new standard is the result of a collective effort between governmental and non-governmental organizations working in Pakistan, including the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, the federal and provincial food regulatory authorities, World Health Organization, Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA), Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), Heartfile, and other civil society organizations.
The adoption of this nationwide standard represents the sustained collaborative efforts and coalition-building by key stakeholders dedicated to improving Pakistan’s food safety regulations. The joint efforts of government bodies, civil society organizations, think tanks, and policymakers played a crucial role in strengthening the country’s regulatory framework to protect public health. The journey toward this achievement gained momentum in June 2023, when regulatory standards to limit industrially produced trans fats were introduced by the PSQCA for six major food categories available in the country.While a step forward, these regulations left gaps that allowed trans fats to remain prevalent in various food products, including widely consumed street foods.
Recognizing the need for comprehensive coverage, committed partners worked extensively with regulatory authorities, academia, parliamentarians, and other policymakers to ensure that the new standard applies across all food items and meetsglobal best practices to protect public health. This multi-sectoral engagement included policy dialogues, technical consultations, youth engagement, grassroots mobilization, and media sensitization to build momentum for robust regulatory action.
It has been established with research-based evidence that industrially produced trans fats are among the major contributorsto cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and pose serious health risks to millions of Pakistanis. With the introduction of this new standard, followed by its enforcement, Pakistan is now positioned itself to significantly reduce the economic cost due to trans fats intake, leading to reduced disease burden, improving life expectancy and quality of life of its population. By eliminating harmful trans fats from the food supply, Pakistan joins the growing list of countries adopting stringent measures to combat NCDs and promote healthier dietary habits.
While the implementation of these new trans fats limits is another challenge to be dealt with, there is a growing need to continue collaborative action to ensure lasting health benefits for all Pakistanis. In this regard, the next critical step is to secure a national legislative ban on the production and distribution of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs)—the primary and major source of industrially produced trans fats.
Collective efforts shall continue now to focus on legislative measures to permanently eliminate PHOs from the food supply, ensuring that the progress achieved through regulatory reforms is institutionalized for long-term public health protection. Strengthening enforcement mechanisms, increasing public awareness, and mobilizing support from food industry stakeholders will be key priorities moving forward.
This policy win reflects the power of collaboration between government agencies, civil society organizations, and national and international health experts in driving meaningful change. Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating industrially producedtrans fats is a testament to the effectiveness of evidence-based collaborative efforts and policy reform. As the country moves toward a comprehensive ban on PHOs, continued partnership,and monitoring are needed more than ever, that will ensure a healthier, industrially produced trans fats –free future for all Pakistanis.
