Lok Sabha Question No. 2259 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Harmful Effects of Consuming Trans Fats
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Bidyut Baran Mahato, Sudheer Gupta, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Shrirang Appa Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUE STION NO. 2259 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 RD SEPTEMBER, 2020

## HARMFUL EFFECTS OF C ONSUMING TRANS FATS

## 2259. SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MA HATO:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIV RAO MANDLIK:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA B ARNE:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether people in the country are still not aware about the harmful effects of consuming trans - fats and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the FSSAI has launched a new mass media campaign in order to create awareness abouttrans - fats and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is planning to eliminate the use of trans - fats in the country by the year 2022 and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the FSSAI has issued any draft regulations to meet the World Health Organizations mandated two percent limit regarding trans - fat elimination in oils, fats and extracted fat of food products and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the time by which said regulations are likely to be notified by the Government; and
- (f) whether the Government has set any procedure to record the compliance of regulations issued and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE M INISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  &(b):  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  is constantly  working  on propagating Eat Right Messages under Eat Right campaign. FSSAI promotes dietary diversi and  balanced  diets,  eating  less  and  timely,  eliminating  toxic  industrial  trans  fats  f reducing consumption of salt, sugar and saturate d fats.

Additionally, mass campaigns have been launched with celebrity influencers like Virat Kohli and Shri Raj Kummar Rao to trigger behavioural changes for informed food choic

A rich repository of content and messaging (print, digital audio a nd video) has been created and is being disseminated at mass level through various events and exhibitions.

FSSAI had launched 'Heart Attack Rewind' mass media campaign to educate consumers on  the  harmful  effects  of  trans  fat.  'Heart  Attack  Rewind'  is  a  30 - second  public  service announcement which was broadcasted in 17 languages on social media platforms. The objecti of the campaign was to warn citizens about the health hazards of consuming trans fats an strategies to avoid them through healthier alt ernatives.

FSSAI has launched 'Trans Fat Free' logo. Food establishments which use trans - fat free fats/oil and do not have industrial trans - f t more than 0.2g/100g of food, in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulati ons, 2018 can display 'Trans fat free' logo in their outlets and on their food products. The use of the said logo is voluntary.

(c)  to  (e):  The  limit  of  trans  fats  for  vanaspati,  bakery  shortenings,  bakery  and margarine,and interesterified ve getable fats/oils is currently prescribed to be not more than under Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation 2011.

FSSAI is working continuously towards bringing down the limit of trans fats content in edible oils and fats such as vanaspati, bakery shortenings, bakery and industrial margari interesterified  vegetable  fats,  refined  vegetable  oil,  partially  hydrogenated  soybean margarine, mixed fat spread and vegetable fat spread etc. to less th an 2% in a phased manner by 2022.

(f): The implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and rules regulations notified thereunder primarily rests with the State/UT Government Regular  surveillance,  monitoring,  inspection  an d  random  sampling  of  food  products,  are undertaken by the officials of Food Safety Departments of the respective States/ UTs to that they comply with the standards laid down under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the rules and regulations mad e thereunder. In cases where the food samples are found to be non -conforming,  recourse  is  taken  to  penal  provisions  under  Chapter  IX  of  the  Food  Safety Standards Act, 2006.