Civil society organisations have petitioned the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) to enact laws that regulate the use of industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFAs), in an effort to reduce the risks for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Sustained uptake of foods containing TFAs results in clogged, narrow and hardened arteries, leading to hypertension, higher risks of heart diseases, cancer and even death.iTFAs are usually found in processed foods like margarine, vegetable shortening, Vanaspati ghee, fried foods, crackers, biscuits and pies.

The iTFAs, widely used by food manufacturers, have been described by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as harmful compounds created by adding hydrogen to vegetable oils to make them solid. Trans-fats can also be found naturally in meat and dairy foods from ruminants like cattle, sheep and goats.

The Uganda National Health Consumers Organisation, the International Institute for Legislative Affairs and the Tanzania Women Lawyers Association want Eala to legislate against the use of iTFAs.“We, as civil society organisations operating in the East African Community (EAC), are greatly concerned by the health situation in region, due to lack of a regulation for industrially-produced trans-fatty acids,” said Robinah K. Kaitiritimba, on behalf of the East African TFA Regulation Coalition.“We are looking at vascular diseases, cancers and the burden that such illnesses has on the population. We need to develop and adopt a regional regulation for industrially produced trans-fatty acids.”The three organisations are working in their countries to see a reduction, if not elimination, of TFAs from foods as per the recommendations of WHO.

The programme involves Eala and the EAC at the regional level.

At the same time, they want specific regulations for TFA to be included in the Standardisation, Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Bill, which is still under consideration by Eala, since it deals with standards of manufacturing.

They also want the regional House to ensure the Council of Ministers supports regulation at national levels and regularly reports to the House on the processes.“We demand the regional regulation to ban partially hydrogenated oils and limit industrially-produced trans-fatty acids to two per cent in food products supplied within the EAC,” Ms Kaitiritimba said.“Because iTFAs are multinational products, there is need to have a regional regulation. This leaves us in an urgent situation requiring the attention of the Eala.”According to WHO, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of deaths in the world. Major risk factors include unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyle and tobacco and alcohol use.iTFAs have been identified as a significant risk factor for NCDs, inflating the likelihood of coronary heart illnesses by a staggering 23 per cent for as little as five grammes consumed per day.

Due to their widespread consumption, iTFAs are estimated to cause more than 500,000 deaths worldwide, according to the WHO.

Globally, cardiovascular diseases account for 17 million deaths a year, with East Africa contributing 13 per cent of the deaths associated with NCDs.

In Tanzania, cardiovascular illnesses represent 13 per cent of total NCD-related deaths, while in Kenya, they contribute to 25 per cent of hospital admissions and 13 per cent of hospital deaths.

NCDs account for 40 per cent of deaths in Uganda, 353,000 of which are blamed on cardiovascular illnesses every year.

The WHO’s recommendation for adults is to limit consumption of trans-fats to less than one per cent of total energy intake, which is less than 2.2g per day for a 2,000-calorie diet.

No country in East Africa has implemented specific iTFA legislation, regulation or policy.“It is high time substantial steps are taken to protect our citizens against the deadly effects of industrially-produced trans-fatty acids,” the lobbies say.

Experience in several countries demonstrates that industrially-produced trans-fats can be replaced by healthier oils.

WHO recommends trans-fat elimination as a cost-effective intervention for low- and middle-income countries.

Governments could eliminate the cause of seven per cent of cardiovascular disease worldwide with a low-cost investment, the UN health agency says.

WHO recommends two best-practice alternatives – mandatory national limit of 2g of industrially-produced trans-fats per 100g of total fat in foods.

It also recommends a mandatory national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils, a major source of trans-fat, as an ingredient in foods.

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