Maximum limit of trans fat in oil, Chips, chanachur set to 2%

To reduce the risk of heart disease and various non-communicable diseases, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has set the maximum limit of trans fatty acid (TFA) at 2 percent in several food products, including edible oil. According to the new standards, the amount of trans fat cannot exceed 2 percent in specified food products, including edible oil, dalda/banaspati, lachcha semai, decorated cake, chips, and chanachur.

This decision was announced on Monday during a stakeholder meeting titled "Encouraging the Production of TFA-Free Edible Oil and PHO in Bangladesh" at the BSTI headquarters in Tejgaon. BSTI and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh jointly organized the meeting.

BSTI stated that the Bangladesh Standard (BDS) has been formulated based on this defined limit. As a result, a specific benchmark has been created to control the use of trans fat in relevant food items.
Trans fatty acid or TFA is considered one of the major risk factors for heart disease and various non-communicable diseases. BSTI noted that the World Health Organization also considers eliminating trans fat from the food supply chain to be an effective and cost-efficient step toward preventing premature deaths.

Professor Sohel Reza Choudhury from the National Heart Foundation and Professor Md. Abdul Alim from the Bangladesh Agricultural University were present at the meeting. Officials from various edible oil manufacturing and refining companies in the country, including Bashundhara Group, City Group, TK Group, Bangladesh Edible Oil, and Meghna Group, also participated in the meeting.