By Kemo Kanyi
Trans Fat Acid (TFA) are unsaturated fatty acids produced from either industrial or natural sources. They kill more than 500,000 people around the world each year.
RAID-The Gambia, a non-governmental organization that is focused on public health promotion, on Friday, September 6, 2024, enlightened the general public about the dangers posed by Trans Fat Acid foods consumed in The Gambia.
Omar Conteh, Advocacy Communication Officer, RAID-The Gambia, said the media engagement is to inform journalists about health hazards related to Trans Fat Acid foods.
Momodou Gassama, an expert from the World Health Organisation, stated that Trans Fats are produced industrially by partial hydrogenation of any liquid oils in most cases vegetable oils, but also occurs naturally in meat and milk.
He added that the process turns liquid into solid, resulting in Partially Hydrogenated Oil (PHO). “On average, trans fat concentrations in PHO are 25-45%. Naturally occurring transfats come from ruminants such as cows and sheep, they are found in meat and dairy food.”
“Trans fats are harmful and cause heart attacks and deaths. Transfat is used mostly in packaged food to extend shelf life and deep frying because trans-fat doesn’t have to be changed as often as natural oils.
Trans fat kills more than 500,000 people around the world each year (one death every second),” he noted.
Dr. Gassama added that more than 6 billion people – 90% of the world’s population – live in countries that don’t protect their citizens from industrially produced trans-fat in their food supply.
The WHO expert recommended to the government of the Gambia to place a mandatory national limit of 2 grams of industrially produced trans-fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods and a mandatory national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils (a major source of trans fat) as an ingredient in all foods.
He went on to say that Partially Hydrogenated Oil (PHO) in foods can be replaced by oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), followed by oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA).
“Oils rich in PUFA include those from safflower, corn, sunflower, soybean, fatty fishes, walnuts and seeds; oils rich in MUFA include canola, olive, peanut, and oils from nuts and avocados,” he classified.
Sally Jarju, President of the Association of Health Journalists, signified the importance of accurate reporting for a well-informed public to promote the prevention of this risk factor to non-communicable diseases.
Seyfo Singhated, Senior Programme Officer, Non-Communicable Diseases Unit of the Ministry of Health, underscored the importance of advocacy saying it plays a crucial role in the ministry’s quest to improve healthy diet in the country.